KANNUR: At a time when traditional funeral ceremonies are increasingly being commercialised, Chokli in Kannur has witnessed the birth of a compassionate social initiative – a volunteer group that aims to ensure dignified last rites for the deceased, especially the poor and needy.
An initiative of the CPM Menapram local committee, the 45-member volunteer group, named ‘Funeral Force’, was officially launched on Friday by CPM district secretary K K Ragesh. The group comprises volunteers from various religious backgrounds, all ready to step in where families and communities hesitate.
The force’s service will cover everything required for performing the last rites, including a mobile freezer to keep bodies, a temporary room to bath the deceased, the utensils, as well as making arrangements for the cremation or burial. Female volunteers of the respective religion will perform the bathing rites of deceased women as per customs.
“The service will be open to all, irrespective of political ideology, caste or religion. While private agencies charge over Rs 7,000 for Hindu cremation rites alone, ours will be free for the poor and needy,” said CPM Menapram local committee secretary Jayesh T.
The force will accept donations from those who choose not to avail the free service. Funds for essential equipment and materials have already been raised through public contributions.
“We have selected volunteers from different religious communities, and all have been trained for various stages of a funeral process. So far, we’ve raised Rs 10 lakh via crowdfunding as initial working capital. All our volunteers have received training from traditional chief mourners and will wear designated uniforms while on duty,” Jayesh said.
In its first phase, the service will be limited to the Chokli-Menapram area. Plans are in place to gradually extend it to neighbouring regions based on the success of the pilot project.
“There’s no existing model for such a service here. That’s why we are starting it in Chokli as a trial run. If it succeeds, we’re committed to expanding this initiative to other areas,” Jayesh said.