Elderly Tamil Nadu man’s concern for ‘unwanted’ gets him new identity

TIRUPUR: Fifteen years ago, the eerie sight of flies buzzing over an unclaimed body with wide-open eyes froze an elderly man from Tirupur. It is the very same sight that impelled him to cremate at least 1,200 such bodies from the city so far. The compassion for the 'unwanted' earned P Gnanavel (81) a new identity on Thursday when Collector K Vijaya Karthikeyan honoured him with the 'Best Social Activist' award.

"Being a spiritual person, concepts like birth, death and rebirth changed my perspectives of life. In 2005, I was affected to know that the body of a train-hit man was unclaimed for several days. So, I took an initiative to cremate such bodies by spending around Rs 1,700 from my pocket," said Gnanavel, who runs a private company in Town Extension.

The octagenarian's selfless service has made him a go-to person for the policemen from across the district and an inspiration for a bunch of youngsters who have taken after him. "Usually, I get calls from Perumanallur, Kangeyam, Vellakoil and Palladam surroundings. Over time, every police station and hospital in the city has my contact. I always feel happy to do this service and wish more people come forward to do their bit for the society," he added.  

A member of the Indian Red Cross Society for 12 years, Gnanavel has made the organisation proud with his achievement, said its Tirupur Secretary M Damodharan. "Since 2008, Gnanavel has been associated with the Society. However, he has never demanded money from any of the members. Even during the Covid-19-induced lockdown, he continued to do the service with his family's support and friends' help," he added.