Mangaluru: Compassionate corporator cremates dozen bodies in fortnight

MANGALURU: This Mangaluru City Corporation corporator has been rendering selfless service cremating bodies when people do not come forward.
Ganesh Kulal, 52, corporator of Derebail southwest ward, has performed the last rites of 12 bodies in the past fortnight.
“For me, it is just a social service. I have been doing this even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. Due to the pandemic, people do not come forward to perform the last rites of the deceased. I have performed the last rites of nine Covid-19 victims in the past couple of weeks,” he said.
The first time corporator from the BJP is also an active member of the Covid War Room opened by Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
“Even relatives of the dead do not participate in the funerals. As a result, dead bodies remain in hospitals for hours. I volunteer to accept the responsibility in such situation,” he said.
Out of 12 dead bodies he cremated, five were women.
When family members of two Covid-19 victim, one from Kerala and another from Madikeri, did not arrive, Kulal took up the responsibility and performed the last rites.
Out of 12 bodies, he cremated in the past two weeks, nine were patients from Mangaluru taluk.
Kulal said he rushes to crematoriums at Nandigudda and Boloor as soon as he receives calls.
“My service is not limited to performing the last rites. I have been arranging ambulances for patients in case of emergency. I have spent money from my pocket to cremate some of the dead bodies,” he added.