Odisha: Siblings cremate Covid bodies for God’s blessing

BARIPADA:  The pandemic may have wreaked havoc but like always, the human spirit has come up indomitable. At a time when people are abandoning even their kin due to stigma attached to Covid-19, two siblings from a slum in Baripada have shouldered the responsibility of cremating bodies of infected patients in the town and nearby areas. Their dedicated service to the society, they say, will earn them almighty’s blessings. 

Since March last year till now, siblings  Sibsankar Mukhi (25) and  Vishal (19) of Baripada Municipality’s Sungadia, Ward No-14 are handling bodies of Covid patients including those from hospitals and cremating them as per the mandated protocol.

“There are many ways of receiving God’s blessings. Proper cremation of the deceased is one of them as the last rites hold significance in our tradition,” said Sibsankar, adding that the sight of a Covid infected body lying unattended for several hours last year prompted them to take up cremation as a full-time work during the pandemic. Sources said, the sibling duo has cremated over 125 Covid bodies till now.

Apart from cremation, the brothers are also handling infected bodies at the  Bankisole Covid hospital and Pandit Raghunath Murmu Government Medical College and Hospital (PRM-MCH) as the staff there are usually reluctant to do so. “We bring the bodies of infected patients in ambulances from hospitals and other areas in the town, and cremate them at a crematorium near Daraghadei Golei here.

The municipality is giving us remuneration for the service which is serving as a financial support to our family,” Sibsankar said. Taking their round the clock service into consideration, Baripada municiplaity has been giving them a monthly remuneration of `10,000 each for over a year now.  Health Inspector of Baripada Municipality Santosh Kumar Mohanty said Sibsankar and Vishal  respond to phone calls and appear immediately whenever their help is required.

“One phone call and the brothers swing into action. Since last March, they have been taking bodies of patients from hospitals and other areas in the town and cremating them with due adherence to norms,” he said. Sources said, after the second wave struck, the siblings are cremating unclaimed bodies in areas adjoining the municipality and nearby villages too.