Dead people have a friend in this Gujarat businessman

SURAT: Venilal Malwala, 55, is a rare breed of businessman for whom profit is not everything.

This is why he has cremated over 7,000 unclaimed bodies in the past 18 years in the city, neglecting his zari business and even spending his own money to give dignity to the dead.

Malwala’s

Agni

Dah Seva Kendra spends approximately Rs505 on cremation of a body. He had set up the trust 18 years ago and now he receives donations from people too for this noble work. He said, “I have a regret that I could not save a man’s life in 1997. He was seriously injured in an accident and cops delayed me from rushing him to hospital.

“The man succumbed to his injuries and police harassed me for some time. That day I decided, I need to set up this trust for funeral of people who remain unidentified after their death.”

“We also do a yagna for peace of the departed

soul

and offer food to Brahmins. ‘Asthi visarjan’ is done in Nasik. We hold an exhibition in January every year in the city where we display pictures of the people whom we have cremated. This helps many relatives to identify their kin whom we may have cremated as unclaimed bodies,” Malwala said.

He takes possession of an unclaimed body every day, around 400 in a year. The body is given a bath and cremated after rituals at Ashvini Kumar Crematorium at Katargam.

“I think God has chosen me to give dignity to the departed soul. I will continue to do this until I am alive,” Malwala said.


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