Dignity at death: Father, son perform funeral of covid deceased as relatives refuse for various reasons

Bengaluru: These are tough times, aren’t they? Such has been the disastrous effect of covid-19 that the relatives of the covid deceased refuse to perform their funeral, out of fear. 

However, at the same time, good Samaritans have come out in the open, braving the catastrophe and willing to give a decent funeral to such covid deceased.

As reported by Times of India, A Ayub Khan, a DMK functionary, in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, has been ensuring a decent funeral in the second wave of the pandemic. In all, as the website adds, he has given 64 decent funerals till date. 

“I found that deaths by covid-19 were one of the biggest burden to bear for next of kin and decided to perform the final rites when their families were unable to do so,” he says. 
Ayub started his altruistic work in the first wave itself. At that time, he gave a decent funeral to 16 deceased and then, he expanded his noble work to 64. 

Inspired by his work, it is now his son – Raja, aged 19- who gives him company. 

“There have been instances when the sole attendant for the deceased person is a woman, who becomes so distraught after the demise of her husband or son, that they ask us to perform the funeral right away because they are unable to bring people in the short time period. Some of them pay the funeral charges, which is about 2,500 for cremation or burial, while others do not as they do not have the money,” he notes.

Khan jumps into action when the relatives become hesitant to the point of not touching the corpses. 

“The are some who die after being declared Covid-19 negative according to the certificate given by the hospitals while there are families who are reluctant to even touch or perform rituals for these bodies”.

It is people like Khan who show the way during the ongoing difficult period. 

Kudos to him! 
 

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