JODHPUR: Contributions of good Samaritans can never be underestimated in a fight against any crisis.
During this difficult times of the pandemic, when Covid patients are consistently losing battle with the deadly virus, the ordeal of their families does not appear to cease there only.
When these families are handed over the bodies of their near and dear ones by hospitals for the last rites, a major difficulty they face is arrangement of a vehicle for transportation of the deceased to the cremation ground.
This in itself is no mean task but, again, even after securing it, they must pay through their nose to avail this service.
Pained at this behavior of the vehicle drivers and the helplessness of agonized families, a scrap dealer of Jodhpur, Suresh Acharya, converted his one-month old SUV into a “moksha vaahan”, offering free services to the needy ones to take the deceased to the crematoriums.
“With death, we tend to do whatever possible, selflessly, for the departed and here are people, who found opportunity to make quick bucks without being empathetic with people who lost their relatives to the pandemic, especially poor villagers. This hurt me to the core and I decided to convert my newly purchased Scorpio into a ‘moksha vaahan’”, Acharya said.
Though it was difficult for him to convince his family and friends, he was determined. Without giving a second thought, he made the necessary changes to his SUV and rolled it out for free transportation of corpses to cremation grounds on May 7.
Acharya made his mobile number public and rushes to hospitals on receiving a call. He drives the vehicle himself.
Acharya has transported 40 bodies to the local cremation ground, and even into villages in the hinterland. He has travelled to other districts like Nokha in Bikaner, Pokhran in Jaisalmer, and Jaitaran in Pali since he began this service 3 days ago.
“Many a time there are hardly 1-2 people with the deceased. I then help them place the body in the vehicle,” Acharya says.
Asked about fear of getting infected, he said he takes all precautions and uses a mask, sanitizer, and gloves. He is determined to continue this service as long as the situation persists.
During this difficult times of the pandemic, when Covid patients are consistently losing battle with the deadly virus, the ordeal of their families does not appear to cease there only.
When these families are handed over the bodies of their near and dear ones by hospitals for the last rites, a major difficulty they face is arrangement of a vehicle for transportation of the deceased to the cremation ground.
This in itself is no mean task but, again, even after securing it, they must pay through their nose to avail this service.
Pained at this behavior of the vehicle drivers and the helplessness of agonized families, a scrap dealer of Jodhpur, Suresh Acharya, converted his one-month old SUV into a “moksha vaahan”, offering free services to the needy ones to take the deceased to the crematoriums.
“With death, we tend to do whatever possible, selflessly, for the departed and here are people, who found opportunity to make quick bucks without being empathetic with people who lost their relatives to the pandemic, especially poor villagers. This hurt me to the core and I decided to convert my newly purchased Scorpio into a ‘moksha vaahan’”, Acharya said.
Though it was difficult for him to convince his family and friends, he was determined. Without giving a second thought, he made the necessary changes to his SUV and rolled it out for free transportation of corpses to cremation grounds on May 7.
Acharya made his mobile number public and rushes to hospitals on receiving a call. He drives the vehicle himself.
Acharya has transported 40 bodies to the local cremation ground, and even into villages in the hinterland. He has travelled to other districts like Nokha in Bikaner, Pokhran in Jaisalmer, and Jaitaran in Pali since he began this service 3 days ago.
“Many a time there are hardly 1-2 people with the deceased. I then help them place the body in the vehicle,” Acharya says.
Asked about fear of getting infected, he said he takes all precautions and uses a mask, sanitizer, and gloves. He is determined to continue this service as long as the situation persists.
