Quoting Swami Vivekananda, they said: "Fear is weakness and courage is strength."

Members of Manava Vikasa Vedika, a forum of writers and litterateurs working towards nurturing human values, participated in the cremation of the body of a COVID-19 patient at Harischandra Smasana Vatika, the city’s main burial ground run by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) on Wednesday. A large gathering of writers and social activists participated in the event by holding placards carrying the words ‘Nimpukundaam karuna – champudaam corona’, ‘Bhayam maranam – dhairyam jeevam’, ‘Nee punyame nee aishwaryam’ and ‘Manishi akaalam – Maanavatvam chirakaalam’. The attempt was made in the wake of people fearing to come in touch with COVID-infected bodies for fear of contracting the virus and staying away from cremation of their near and dear. Calling themselves ‘Friends of humanity’, the participants personally gathered around a body and lit the pyre in the presence of legislator B. Karunakar Reddy, who is also championing a similar cause.

Appeal to people

Forum conveners Sakam Nagaraja and Saila Kumar appealed to the people to treat birth and death on similar lines and not to exhibit undue worry over the pandemic situation. Appealing to the public to handle the pandemic with a humane face, the MLA flayed corporate hospitals for trying to squeeze the patients and make money out of the unfortunate situation. Renowned theatre artiste B. Ramachandra Reddy read out verses from the poem ‘Smasana Vatika’ by Gurram Jashua and Balijepalli Lakshmikantham.