Amaravati: Volunteers render yeoman service for Burying Corona victims' bodies

Amaravati: At the time when everybody is gripped in fear of Covid-9 and could not dare even to touch the patients, a group of four people have been rendering invaluable services in Vijayawada in burying the dead bodies following funeral rites and Covid guidelines.

The voluntee rs have been burying the Covid-19 infected dead bodies of Muslims in particular and Christians if need arises and their help is required. While burying the bodies, they have been offering prayers to Allah. Md Fathullah, Mohammed Farooq Shubli, Moulana Md Hussain Ahmed and Abdul Ravoof and others are rendering their services in Vijayawada. Moulana Hussain has been offering the Namaaz E Janaza (offering prayers) as part of funeral rites.

Speaking to The Hans India, Farooq Shubli, said that in an incident in Guntur, the body of a deceased Muslim person was cremated instead of burying due to various reasons. "After seeing that, we have decided to take the responsibility of burying the bodies of Muslims who die due the pandemic," he said. They have been extending their services for the last two-and-half months. So far 78 virus-infected dead bodies were buried in both Vijayawada and Guntur, he added.

Farooq further explained, "As soon as a Covid-19 patient dies at a hospital, the government officials have been informing us along with the family members of the concerned. Wherever the family members show the place, we will go and bury the deceased after following all the Covid-19 guidelines. Basically, we must know that a dead body would not spread the virus, unless we touch it and remove the cover on it. We touch the packed body only one time to put it on a 10-foot cloth. After placing the body on the cloth, we complete the prayers. Then, will place the body through the help of the cloth in the 12 feet pit and close the pit."

At the time of handing over the body to the volunteers, the government is providing the PPE kits and others for their safety.

Farooq said that they had been striving to form similar teams in all the districts. At present, two or three persons joined their team to deliver the services at Rajamahendravaram, Vizag, Kurnool, Guntur and Tirupati.

Abdul Ravoof, an MBA final year student, explained that after seeing some pathetic incidents at the Kabristan (cemetery), he decided to render service voluntarily and joined hands with the team. In the wake of rapid spread of Covid, he pointed out that if a person dies due to the pandemic, some people (relatives and kin of deceased) even hesitate to come forward to attend the last rites.