MADURAI: At a time when the pandemic took away many lives in solitude, volunteers of the Popular Front of India joined hands to bid farewell to Covid victims free of cost.
In recognition of services rendered during the two waves of the pandemic by performing final rites of Covid patients, the district unit of the outfit was presented with an award for excellence by the Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar during the Republic Day celebrations last week.
District president of Popular Front of India S Mohammed Abuthahir (38), who received the award from the Collector on behalf of the outfit, told TNIE that volunteers of the outfit laid to rest the bodies of nearly 230 Covid patients belonging to all religions at burial grounds and crematoriums across the district since April 2020 for free.
Recalling how it all began, Abuthahir said, "During the first wave, people dreaded any form of contact with Covid patients dead or alive, resulting in ostracizing the patients. On account of the fear of infection, we witnessed families that hesitated to perform funeral rites for their loved ones who died of Covid, and that was when we stepped in."
Sheik Mohammed (24) from Sellur, a techie by profession, led a volunteer team during the pandemic. He said, "Hospital staff who gradually came to know of our services through word of mouth would call us in case of a family requiring help in performing the last rites of their deceased kin. Those who were natives of other districts needed our help the most as Covid protocol does not permit taking bodies outside Madurai if they die in any of the hospitals here."
The bodies were either buried or cremated at graveyards of churches/mosques and crematoriums that opened doors to the victims of Covid, he stated. Mohammed went on to add that every volunteer took a quarantine break for about 5-6 days after a day's work.
Abuthahir said, "During the second wave when the casualty was higher leading to longer queues for cremation/burial, the volunteers would break their fast in the month of Ramzan while at the frontline, taking short breaks. While 105 bodies were cremated during the first wave, 125 bodies were taken care of during the second wave."
Mohammed mentioned that the volunteers would refuse the money offered by the bereaved kin. "Instead, we would only ask them to help the needy, in return," he added.