Tablighi Jamaat members cremate, bury over 500 Covid victims

The team has been conducting funerals of at least 15 bodies daily for the past month, irrespective of community and religion.

By Muslim Mirror Staff

New Delhi: A group of 60 Tablighi Jamaat members have been carrying out cremation and funeral of Covid-19 patients in Tirupati city, Andhra Pradesh. They have cremated/buried over 500 bodies so far.

”Last year, many blamed some of us for the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, everyone is appreciating us,” said JMD Gouse while speaking to The News Minutes.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, Gouse along with some like-minded people founded the COVID-19 Joint Action Committee (JAC) under the Tirupati United Muslim Association, to address Covid-19 related issues, including conducting funerals.

The team has been conducting funerals of at least 15 bodies daily for the past month, irrespective of community and religion.

“We conduct the funerals based on their religious traditions. If the victim is a Hindu, we put a cloth and flower garland; if they are Christian, we put the body in a coffin and call up a Church father to arrange a prayer; and if they are a Muslim, we hold a Janaze ki Namaz (rituals),” Gouse explained.

He coordinates with as many as 60 volunteers every day based on inputs and requests he gets on the phone, for carrying out a dignified funeral for victims.

The 60 members are divided into three teams, and each team is assigned at least four-five bodies every day.

Gouse said that they’re arranging for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) on their own, with some contributions from people in Tablighi Jamaat. According to him, the police,municipality and other department staff are assisting them in going ahead with the service.

This article first appeared on Muslim Mirror