Uttar Pradesh: Four young friends on Covid mission to carry victims for cremation & perform last rites

MEERUT: In such trying times, four childhood friends - all in their early 30s - have decided to come together to perform the last rites of fallen Covid patients left unattended by their relatives for fear of getting infected and those whose kin are also battling the disease. Until now, they have cremated 25 bodies.
They all belong to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and have been carrying the dead from the houses and even performing the last rites at the crematorium.

Rahul Jhamb came up with this noble thought and his friends joined him. He has a tragic story that propelled him to take up this cause.
"In 2017, my father suffered from renal failure and I had to take him to Haryana for treatment. I was alone with no help at all and I and my father suffered a lot. I could not save him and had to perform the last rites alone. It is said suffering ennobles you and that’s what the incident did to me," Jhamb, who runs an electrical appliances repair shop, said.
"Now, with untold miseries around, Covid patients are being shunned by their own relatives and there is no one to take care of the dead. So, I discussed the issue with my friends and they agreed," he added.
But, is it worth taking the risk?
Jhamb's associate and friend Sanchit Arora, who runs a boutique, said, "We have a strong belief that when we go out doing a noble task, God helps and protects us. Besides, we wear PPE kits and take all the necessary precautions."
Gaurav Kakkar and Soni Sharma are also part of the group.
One of the families that they helped was full of praise. "My mother in-law was coughing and our relatives and neighbours thought she was suffering from Covid. So, no one came forward when she passed away. It was then that I called these four young men who came to our place and helped in the cremation," VK Sood, who's mother-in-law died recently, said.
When contacted, additional CMO Vikram Singh Pundeer said, "I am in touch with Rahul Jhamb and we do assist them with PPE kits. It is indeed a noble act."