Bringing dignity in death to unclaimed bodies

Young man transforms into a selfless hero, cremating unclaimed bodies during the pandemic, inspiring others to join his cause.

The sight of the body of an elderly man lying on the road, just outside the NTR Hospital at Anakapalli, with no one willing to touch it, during the first wave of COVID-19 brought a total transformation in a young man. Ignoring the risks, he performed the last rites.

The horrifying scenes of family members hesitating to go near the bodies of their kin, who died of COVID-19, are still fresh in the minds of many of us. The pandemic taught us the importance of cleanliness, hygiene and caring for others. But, they were forgotten too soon.

There are a few like Tharun of Narsipatnam in Anakapalli district, whose outlook towards society has been completely changed by the pandemic. The mass cremation of bodies with no one to care for them touched his heart. He had decided then and there to do his bit to perform the last rites of those who had no one to care for them.

“The first time when I was affected by COVID-19 in 2021, I had seen many people dying and their relatives fearing to go near them. These heart-breaking scenes made me wonder how I can contribute to society. After the pandemic, I started cremating unclaimed bodies,” Mr. Tarun told The Hindu.

Tarun hails from Bodapalem village of Kotauratla mandal of Narsipatnam mandal. His parents are agricultural workers. “After completing my schooling in our village, I had shifted to Anakapalli town to study Intermediate. After completing junior college, I did an ITI course. My ambition was to join the Army and when it did not materialise. I opened a gym to train youngsters but closed it during the pandemic,” he says.

“After the pandemic, I decided to continue my service of cremating unclaimed bodies full time and had started Deva Social Service at Anakapalli. In the last three years, I have cremated over 1,000 unclaimed bodies lying on railway tracks and beggars dying on the streets after police certify them as unclaimed,” he says.

“There are times when I carried the corpse on a motorcycle. I have given my mobile number at various police stations between Kakinada and Srikakulam. I have been uploading my profile and my work on YouTube and Instagram. Some youngsters have volunteered to support my work in some of the districts after seeing my work. They include: a girl employed in a software company, who has been supporting me in shifting the bodies in Vizianagaram district, and another girl, a government employee, joined me in Srikakulam district,” he says.