The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) decision to revoke its tie-up with social outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to bury COVID-19 victims from the minority community, has evoked sharp condemnations from the PFI’s Pune unit and Muslim and Ambedkarite outfits.
The PFI, which has facilitated the final rites of 107 people irrespective of their religion, said it was shocked by Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad’s order to this effect on Tuesday.
The PMC’s order came after former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis opposed the PFI’s association with the PMC, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies in the State. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, in a tweet, had accused the PFI of being an “anti-national” organisation, alluding to its alleged involvement in the anti-CAA riots in New Delhi.
Razi Khan of the PFI’s Pune unit said, “We have so far facilitated the burial of 200 bodies across six districts, including Pune, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani and Malegaon. In some instances, we even took the responsibility of carrying the body of Hindu people to the crematorium. Religion-based politics should not be permitted to thrive anywhere, and especially not at the time of a pandemic.”
Sources said it was BJP leader and Mayor Murlidhar Mohol who urged Mr. Gaikwad to scrap the tie-up.
“The PMC, which is dominated by the BJP, had no objection when we volunteered to help with cremation of COVID-19 victims. Now it appears the Mayor was pressurised by Mr. Fadnavis to scrap the civic body’s association with us,” said another PFI member.
Mr. Khan said that on Tuesday, the day the directive was issued, the PFI had helped bury five bodies of Muslims and Christians despite the heavy rain.
Anjum Inamdar, founder of the Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, asked, “How is it that Mr. Fadnavis did not object to Pragya Singh Thakur, despite having been indicted in the Malegaon blasts, being elected MP?” Mr. Inamdar’s organisation, along with the PFI, had been tasked by the PMC to facilitate the burial of minority community members who died of the virus.
“There have been several cases where relatives have flatly refused to perform the last rites or even take the body to the ambulance. We have even helped perform the last rites of those who did not die of COVID-19,” Mr. Inamdar said.
He said last week, the son of a senior citizen from Maharshi Nagar did not get any help from neighbours and relatives to bury his father. “The body lay there for five hours before someone called us. We have never questioned the religion of a person while performing these services. It is condemnable of Mr. Fadnavis to play politics at such a time,” he said.
Rahul Dambale, who heads the Ambedkarite Republican Yuva Morcha, said it was unfortunate that Mr. Gaikwad and the PMC had succumbed to pressure from Mr. Fadnavis. “The PFI and the Mulnivasi Muslim Manch have been performing yeoman service in helping to bury these orphan dead bodies. Who will take this responsibility now? We strongly condemn the PMC’s directive and urge that it should be taken back,” he said.