NELLORE: A group of youngsters from Gudur town of Nellore district has set an example by conducting the last rites of Covid-19 victims. Members of Eidgah Youth Association (EYA) decided to work against the social stigma in April last year. They spend money from their pockets for conducting the last rites.
After they saw the sorry sight of unclaimed bodies, Sk Shabbir, Sk Shafi, Sk Haseem and Sk Jakir teamed up and conducted the last rites of a victim in Gudur for the first time. The youths, who believe that the dead do not have any religion or caste, have performed funerals of 75 people in Gudur, Venkatagiri, Kota and Nellore.
“Early last year, we saw a Covid-19 victim’s body being consigned to flames on the banks of River Penna in Gudur town. No rituals were performed. Then and there, we decided to perform the last rites of Covid-19 victims. Our association has 30 members, and all of us earn our living by doing menial jobs in Gudur. We share the expenses for performing the last rites. The association also has a team in Kota mandal,” EYA treasurer Sk Jakeer Ahmad said.
The group has divided itself into four teams of four members each. If one team performs the last rites of three to four victims on one day, the next day another team does the job. This is the strategy the association has devised to reduce the pressure.
“It is a pity that close relatives hesitate to attend the last rites of infectees. Those who have departed deserve to be given a dignified farewell, replete with all traditions. There is no harm in performing the last rites of Covid-19 victims. Moreover, ashes do not pose any danger. Every person must have a decent farewell and the pandemic should not be allowed to alter the relationships among relatives, friends and dear ones,” EYA president Sk Shabbir said.
On an average, the EYA performs the last rites of five to six Covid-19 victims daily. The members adhere to all Covid-19 safety protocols while performing the funerals. “At the start, my family members were afraid whenever I returned home after the volunteer service. Slowly they realised that I was not doing anything bad and started supporting us. We undergo severe stress, but the relief we get knowing that people got a decent farewell drives away all the stress and fatigue,” Hasheem said.
However, it was in Vindooru of Gudur rural mandal that the team faced a challenging situation. Two brothers of a family died of Covid-19. When the EYA members visited the village, they were stopped from entering the village. After the intervention of officials, the youth entered the village, but none gave them a vehicle to take the bodies to a burial ground. Then EYA contacted a local NGO to carry the bodies till the burial ground.