KASARAGOD — A Muslim woman leader stepped in to perform the Hindu last rites for a 64-year-old man whose family refused to claim his body after he died of mouth cancer. District panchayat member and development standing committee chairperson Irfana Iqbal lit the funeral pyre at the Cherugoli public crematorium in Uppala on Friday, June 26, after taking custody of T. Narayanan's remains from the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.
Narayanan, a native of Chigarupadae in Meenja grama panchayat under Manjeswaram taluk, died on Thursday after battling advanced mouth cancer for nearly a month. Despite being contacted by Manjeswaram police, none of his close relatives came forward to claim the body. They cited long-estranged ties and an inability to afford funeral expenses. His sister and other family members submitted written consent authorising Ms. Iqbal to conduct the funeral.
Ms. Iqbal, also a trustee of Sheikh Zayed Old Age Home, completed formalities with the Medical College Superintendent and arranged an ambulance to transport the body to Uppala. She performed the last rites according to Hindu customs.
Narayanan's ordeal came to light about a month ago when Meenja ward member Shareef Chinala alerted Ms. Iqbal. 'When we reached the spot, he had been lying in a semi-conscious condition on the veranda of a shop in his native village for a week without proper food or medical care,' she recalled. 'His illness had progressed so far that he was lying in his own waste, and the strong odour from the untreated cancer discouraged others from approaching him.'
K.F. Iqbal, trustee of the old age home, said they offered to bear transportation costs if financial constraints were preventing the family from conducting the funeral, but the relatives still declined. He noted that no criminal case has been registered against the family, though the trust believes the circumstances warrant legal scrutiny. He also questioned the lack of welfare intervention, pointing out that Narayanan belonged to a Scheduled Caste community, and said a complaint has been submitted to the block-level Scheduled Caste officer regarding official inaction.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: The Hindu National