By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent
Azamgarh: Long back, to be precise 7th September, 1998, a Hindi daily “Aaj” carried a report entitled “This is how unclaimed dead bodies are disposed”. The report showed through a photograph as to how two persons were throwing shrouded dead bodies, brought in a rickshaw, in river Tons from the bridge. Compared to this callous attitude of administration the report extolled virtuous work of Irfan Ahmad, a member of Muslim Relief Committee, Azamgarh.
Dead bodies being thrown in the Azamgarh river (Aaj: 7th September, 1998)
Mr. Irfan Ahmad who studied up to intermediate sits in a paan shop opposite of the famous Madarsa Jameatur Rashad, Azamgarh. He has been involved in proper burial of unclaimed Muslim dead bodies since 1982. At that time he used to supply medicines to retail shops. In 1996 he took charge of this noble work and started the small paan shop perched beside a big drain and the road leading to Gorakhpur in 1997.
Presently Mr. Irfan Ahmad is also a part time employee of Shibli National College, Azamgarh, looking after the Staff room/library. The locked room and verandah behind his shop is the place where dead bodies are bathed, shrouded and then taken to the graveyard after offering ‘Namaz-e-Janaza’. The room bears the painted sign “Muslim Lawaris Lash Ghar”.
Irfan Ahmad sitting at his shop
Irfan Ahmad standing in front of “Muslim Lawaris Lash Ghar”
Place where dead bodies are washed
Mr. Irfan Ahmad also known as Chhotu on getting information from Police prepares everything for the decent burial of those unfortunate who die in accidents and their family could not be notified or beggars that have nobody in the name of relatives or friends.
Earlier Muslim Relief Committee (a registered organization) that bears the expenses for such burials, offered performing last rites of unclaimed Hindu dead bodies but due to lukewarm response of Hindu brethren the proposal of an active Muslim Relief Committee member, Late Mohammad Younus was abandoned. So, thanks to the district administration, unclaimed bodies of Hindus continue to be thrown in the river without last rites.
[Photos & videos by Salman Sultan]