Tirupati: Putting humanity above religion, a group of Muslims of Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati are performing the last rites of Covid-19 infected persons, most of them are Hindus—whose close relatives could not come for the funeral.
Active under the banner of Covid-19 Joint Action Committee (JAC), volunteers belonging to Tablighi Jamaat have cremated bodies of over 450 Covid victims since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
They are performing the last rites of not only the unclaimed bodies but also of those whose families abandoned them for fear of contracting the infection.
Last year after the pandemic broke out, it formed the JAC and requested the local authorities to allow them to perform the last rites of the victims according to the religious beliefs of the deceased.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, JAC president Imam Saheb said, "Our group members come to rescue the people in distress during the pandemic and perform the last rites of the victims who are of the Hindu community. By pooling in money and financial assistance by some donors, the JAC purchased two ambulances for this purpose only."
"We believe that Almighty Allah has given us this opportunity. We are feeling proud to do the last rites of the people as the kin, relatives and friends not attending the rituals. It is time to fight against the pandemic, and not with the lives of the people," said Imam.
"We come to rescue the people in distress during the pandemic and perform the last rites of the victims who are of the Hindu community. At Mamandur cemetery on the outskirts, we got a piece of land from the government and spend about Rs 20,000 on cremation of each dead body," he added.
For such a humanitarian gesture, the JAC has received many laurels and wide appreciation.
Its activities have come in for praise from various sections of the society and authorities, who were worried over piling up of bodies in various hospitals.
Tirupati has four major hospitals and it gets patients from the entire Rayalaseema region and also Nellore district.
(With inputs from IANS)
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