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These six volunteers have cremated 1.5K Covid victims in Ludhiana till now
Initially part of the traffic marshal project, they came together after seeing family members refusing to cremate their loved ones
A team of six volunteers, working tirelessly in coordination with the district administration, has cremated over 1,590 Covid victims since the pandemic began last year.
Mandeep Guddu, Gurpreet Singh, Charanjit Singh, Harvinder Singh Amrit, Shivam Kumar and advocate Gopal Singh were initially part of the traffic marshal project launched last year and later came together after seeing family members step away from performing the last rites of their loved ones.
“We pray every day that the situation goes back to normal at the earliest and the grim scenario at the cremation grounds ends,” the team said, which has been working at the cremation grounds in Model Town Extension and the one situated near Arora Palace on Gill Road.
As seen in a heart-rending video, which has gone viral on social media, the volunteers broke down seeing the large number of bodies being cremated. They say it has not been an easy task for them, but they continue to perform the service as it gives them inner peace.
Leading the group, Mandeep Guddu said, “I decided to volunteer after a video went viral in April last year, in which the family members of a Shimlapuri-based woman, including her son, refused to cremate her body. It felt like humanity was dying, so I decided to step forward. Soon after, my friends and colleagues under the traffic marshal program joined hands. We also participated in the cremation of ACP Anil Kohli.”
Worried about their families’ safety
The volunteers said it was not easy to convince their families and take permission from the administration. They also had to ensure the safety of their families.
“I had isolated myself for three days after cremating the first victim in April last year. Even now, we take a two-hour break before moving back to our houses. I own a restaurant in the Haibowal area and my business also got affected as customers started avoiding my eatery,” said Mandeep.
Speaking of the grim situation, advocate Gopal Singh, who also got infected last year, said, “We cremated 19 bodies a day at the peak of the first wave last year. But, for the last few weeks, we have been regularly cremating over 20 bodies. Over 40 bodies were cremated at three cremation grounds - Model Town Extension, Barewal and one near Dana Mandi in a day recently.”
While the municipal corporation had earlier announced that the volunteers will be employed on DC minimum wages rates, but nothing official has been done in this regard yet.
Wearing PPE kits in searing heat a challenge
The volunteers stated that cremating the bodies was not an easy task while wearing PPE kits. Two of the volunteers - Harvinder Singh and Shivam Kumar, fainted last week at the Dana Mandi cremation ground due to excessive heat.
With the rising number of deaths, their work sometimes continues from 8am to 11pm and many times, they work in shifts to alleviate pressure and to look after their businesses and families.
Gopal said, “It is difficult to watch a large number of bodies being cremated at once and sometimes, the relatives do not even come forward to perform the last rites.”
Mandeep said, “We try to involve one family member in the cremation process and make sure that they also wear a PPE kit. We generally try to convince residents to cremate their loved ones at the gas crematorium at Model Town Extension, as there is excessive heat in the open. But, often residents remain adamant on traditional cremations.”
Humanity above everything else
Shivam Kumar, 22, left his job at a pharmaceutical company in Dugri to join the team. Kumar said he was being paid ₹15,000 per month and his family also opposed his decision initially. But, he desperately wanted to join this voluntary service to serve humanity.
Harvinder Singh Amrit, 21, lost his job at a garment store last year and said he was looking for employment, but will continue his service till the pandemic ends.
