Manuke village shows the way, gives a dignified funeral to Covid victim

The 56-year-old Nanded returnee had died on Saturday.

At a time Covid patients in several parts of the country are being denied a decent burial for fear of spread of the virus, the sarpanch of Manuke village in Ludhiana set the right precedent. He not only helped authorities make preparations for the last rites of Gurjant Singh, the 56-year-old Nanded returnee who died on Saturday, but along with tehsildar Manmohan Koshik, he also sensitised the villagers about the situation.

Family members of deceased Gurjant Singh and officials attending the cremation of Manuke village in Ludhiana on Saturday. (HT PHOTO)

This comes in the backdrop of the protests in Verka village in Amritsar last month, where residents stood against the cremation of a former hazoori ragi (hymn chanter) of Golden Temple, Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, who died of Covid-19.

Gurjant, a labourer under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was cremated at village crematorium on Saturday evening. Marks were drawn at the cremation ground to ensure that the people follow social distancing.

Manuke village sarpanch Gurmukh Singh said, “Gurjant travelled a long distance to come home and be among his people. In these circumstances, if we deny him the right to be cremated here, it would be a grave injustice.”

He further said, “For how long we will continue to be scared of the decease and snap ties with our loved ones just because they have incidentally come in contact with the virus. I was shaken when the residents had denied the cremation of hazoori ragi Nirmal Singh Khalsa in the village crematorium in Amritsar. We need to change this notion. We just have to start living with the virus and maintain a safe distance from the infected persons.”