Allama Iqbal Education trust members and residents of the old city organised a condolence meeting in Bidar on Friday for S.S. Siddareddy, eminent surgeon and Planned Parenthood advocate, who died recently.
Almost everyone in the crowd was either treated by the doctor or was counselled by him about family planning.
The speakers were part of his close circle of friends. They recalled his passion to the cause of family planning. They spoke of his activities like promotion of Vasectomy among men and visits to schools to counsel girls of marriageable age, and organising camps to create awareness among marginalised sections like minorities and SC/STs.
Moulana Fahimuddin, former head of the Jamat-E-Islami Hind, praised Dr. Siddareddy’s work and said such people had made a difference to thousands in the backward Hyderabad Karnataka region.
Khaji Arshed Ali, former MLC, said the doctor had worked for decades without running after money.
Rathna Kushnoor, former MLC, Leelavati Chakote, Anil Kumar Beldar, Abdul Mannan, Sidramappa Masimade, and others spoke.