COVID-19: Left to fate, 2 Muslims cremate bodies of Hindus in Bhopal

Danish Siddiqui and Saddam Qureshi, the two workers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s fire wing, have been carrying out this noble work while fasting during the holy month of Ramzan.

Hyderabad: Two Muslim workers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation have been performing the last rites of Hindu coronavirus (COVID-19) victims whose kin have refused to cremate the bodies due to fear of getting infected with the virus.

Danish Siddiqui and Saddam Qureshi, the two workers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s fire wing, have been carrying out this noble work while fasting during the holy month of Ramzan. They claimed that they get calls from families of COVID-19 victims who say that they can’t perform last rites and need them to do the rituals. Some people see the last sight of the passed away person on a video call, said one of them.

Danish and Saddam said that they have so far cremated over 60 victims. Both of them said that humanity is above religious differences. “Some people are unable to cremate because of fear and some out of financial constraints,” they told news18.com.

Both the young men have been making rounds of hospitals and crematoriums and perform their duty whenever required despite their fasts during the ongoing and devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. India is currently reporting few lakh new cases a day, and states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are reporting some of the highest numbers.

According to news18, in some cases, the two municipal workers have also taken up admitting patients to hospitals. In case of deaths, they take the bodies to the crematorium and perform last rites according to the Hindu rituals. Crematoriums, including the major Bhadbhada Vishesh ghat, are overworked due to the influx of dead bodies. The two acre land adjoining the crematorium is also being used to perform the last rites.

This story first appeared on siasat.com