Minority community perform last rites of kinless Hindu man

Saharanpur: In an example of Hindu-Muslim unity, the funeral pyre of a Hindu man was taken to the crematorium by a Muslim man and his companions, and last rites were performed according to Hindu rituals.

A video of this surfaced on social media.

No person in his family to perform last rites

According to local people, Ajay Kumar Saini, 40, a mechanic residing in the Kohla Basti locality of Deoband, had been living in a rented house for about 20 years. He was suffering from kidney disease and died on December 27.

There was no person in his family who could perform his last rites.

In this situation, Gulfam Ansari, the son of the local corporator, and several of his companions came forward.

They said that Gulfam and his companions prepared Ajay’s funeral pyre and then carried it in a funeral procession to the crematorium at Devikund in Deoband.

Gulfam told PTI, “Our companions were not familiar with the Hindu rituals of the last rites, so they completed the funeral process with the advice of people from the Hindu community.”

According to the villagers, Gulfam and his companions also arranged food for the relatives and guests who stayed at the deceased Ajay’s house for three days.