Muslim men carry Hindu woman's body on their shoulders for cremation

Amid the scare and hysteria that the coronavirus has gripped us in, it's some acts of humanity that have kept us going. One such picture of Muslim men who helped in performing the last rites of a Hindu neighbour in the absence of her relatives has surfaced the internet. The sexagenarian breathed her last at her Indore house in South Toda. She was suffering from paralysis and was living with her elder son, as per reports.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• 65-year-old Draupadi Bai's funeral procession was led by Muslim men of the neighbourhood.
• She was an ailing paralysis patient and had a high fever the previous night.
• Her son couldn't take her to the hospital as he didn't have the money.
• Her sister's sons refused to assist as they suspected that she had the coronavirus.
• Ten Muslim neighbours came to the rescue and performed her last rites.

No vehicle was available to carry the body of Draupadi Bai to the cremation ground, nor could her relatives reach for the funeral due to the nation-wide lockdown. Her sister's sons had refused to take her to the hospital last night when she had a high fever. Her own son couldn't do anything as he did not have the money to take her to the hospital, the neighbours said. They thought she was infected with the coronavirus. They did not even touch the body the next morning. Ten members of the Muslim community residing in the neighbourhood put a step forward to help the family.

The Muslim men immediately made arrangements to carry the body to the cremation ground located a kilometre away from where they lived. They then carried the body on their shoulders for the last rites to be performed. A picture of the men giving a shoulder to the old woman's body went viral on the internet and was hailed by the netizens. The woman used to shower a lot of affection on these men and was a respectable figure, hence, they considered it to be their duty to carry out the last rites when her own family members couldn't reach the city.

The Muslim men immediately made arrangements to carry the body to the cremation ground located a kilometre away from where they lived. They then carried the body on their shoulders for the last rites to be performed.

“This is the purpose of humanity, to serve each other,” said Abdul Rehman Sheikh, one of the neighbours who carried the bier. Commending the action taken by the Muslim members, Senior Congress leader and former state chief minister Kamal Nath tweeted, "It is really praiseworthy that Muslim community persons along with the old woman's two sons carried the body on their shoulders for her last rites. This has set an example in society. It reflects our Ganga-Jamumi culture and such scenes enhance mutual love and brotherhood."

Indore is one of the hotspots of the virus and has reported 213 cases and 16 casualties (at the time of filing).

Also Read: Five Indian Cities Identified As Coronavirus Hotspots

Saavriti is an intern at SheThePeople.TV