Chennai: As COVID-19 fear drives relatives of victims away, Muslim volunteers are doing a yeoman service of providing dignified burial or last rites of dead bodies. At a time when even close blood-relatives abandoning bodies of their dearest ones, Muslim volunteers have a set a new example and shown a path to the humanity.
For example, in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Vishnupriya, renowned gynecologist and wife of surgeon Dr Ramamurthy of Kumbakonam, was admitted to a private hospital in Thanjavur due to Corona infection and she died later without responding to the treatment.
At the request of his family members a group of volunteers of Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) packed the body according to government guidance, and took the body to Kumbakonam in TMMK ambulance and cremated it at the Kumbakonam Perumandi cemetery.
When Dr. Vishnupriya, a leading gynecologist who assisted in the birth of numerous babies left the earth, TMMK volunteers bid farewell to her.
M.H.Jawahirullah, President, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) told Muslim Mirror that young Muslims have been doing commendable job risking their lives. He said in Tamil Nadu, TMMK -MMK Volunteers buried a total of 220 bodies including 162 bodies belonging to different religions and communities of those who died of Corona and 58 bodies of those who died without Corona.
The number of Corona victims in Tamil Nadu is 1636. TMMK- MMK volunteers have performed last rites of 10 percent of the victims throughout the state.