DINDIGUL: In everyone‘s life, there are moments that hold the power to redefine one’s version of success and change the trajectory of the life. For K Vel Kumar, this was when he watched a hungry man tear through a paper food packet, too desperate to even untie the string. That grotesque image stayed with him and pivoted him away from his business ventures to a mission of kindness rooted in Dindigul.
He clearly remembers the morning in 2019 when his friend, Balamurugan – whose bike had broken down – called Vel Kumar to help him distribute free food packets to the elderly destitute in Dindigul. Since then, Vel Kumar, along with his friends – Dhamotharan, Kalidas, and Marimuthu – have been actively involved in various social initiatives, such as providing free funeral services for unclaimed bodies and distributing food to the destitute. “Seeing them miserably waiting for one square meal to satisfy their hunger took a tug at my heartstrings,” he adds.
“After a B. Com degree from GTN Arts College, I took up various odd jobs, including working as a cashier at a petrol station. Eventually, I ventured into the money-lending business with my friends, which was profitable,” he says. Determined to make a difference, the very next day when he noticed destitute individuals wandering in the locality without access to food, he set aside some money from his business to support them. “Each week, I prepared and distributed 25 food packets to them. Over time, some local businessmen offered financial contributions, but I declined. Eventually, my friends Dhamodharan, a mechanic, and Kalidas, who owns a small shop, joined in to support the cause. Today, we prepare meals for 125 people, distributing food packets every afternoon, a practice we’ve continued for the past six years,” the good Samaritan said.
Vel Kumar’s social initiatives extended beyond this when he received a phone call from a businessman about an accident on Kodai Road. “On January 9, 2020, I was asked to help a family from Chennai who got into a road accident while returning from Sabarimala. Three men died on the spot. A 10-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother survived with minor injuries. I arrived at the mortuary and obtained details about their relatives through the girl. Once formalities were complete, the doctors informed me about three other unclaimed bodies. We approached the police, who, while admitting they were overwhelmed by such cases, were willing to assist in burying the bodies,” he said
“We managed to arrange documents such as the FIR copy, police clearance certificates, and a letter from the municipality. Since the police were supportive, we were able to immediately transport the body to the burial ground. It took me over an hour to dig the pit. After performing some rituals, the burial was completed. To carry out a burial properly, financial resources are necessary, and we were prepared for that,” he said. Vel Kumar and his friends have assisted in burying more than 233 unclaimed bodies over the past five years.
However, burying the bodies of five one-day-old infants has caused significant mental distress for the trio. “After postmortem examinations, the tiny bodies were entrusted to us for burial. These infants were abandoned by their parents,” he said.
“Last year, police reported that the unclaimed body of a young woman was to be buried. When we went to the mortuary ward, we were confronted with the heart-wrenching story of a 22-year-old woman who grew up in a Madurai orphanage. She had fallen in love with a young man who persuaded her to work in Dindigul. When she got pregnant, he refused to marry her and took her to an isolated spot in Dindigul where he strangled her. The next day, he returned to the same place, poured petrol, and burnt her remains,” Vel Kumar said. “As a final act of respect, we bought a churidar from a nearby shop and used it to cover her corpse.”
Notably, he has also been offering free grooming services to elderly patients and those without attendants at Dindigul Medical College Hospital, a service he has been diligently carrying out for years.
“Whenever we took destitute individuals from the streets for medical check-ups at Dindigul Medical College Hospital, we often encountered other elderly male patients with no attendants. Their hair and beards had grown out. It struck me, why not offer grooming services to these men? However, I didn’t know how to cut hair. Determined, I referred to the user manual of hair trimmers and taught myself the basics of hair cutting. I purchased two large trimmers and began visiting Dindigul Medical College Hospital every week to provide free grooming services to these men,” he said.
(Edited by Rohith Sony)