True Samaritans: Indian volunteers take up grim task of cleaning decomposed bodies in Kathmandu

DEHRADUN: As rescue agencies continue recovering bodies from flash flood-hit areas in Nepal and bringing them to Kathmandu mortuaries, a group of young Indian volunteers has taken up a task few are willing to do — cleaning decomposed bodies before they are handed over to families and authorities for the last rites. The group has helped clean more than 30 bodies till now.At least seven volunteers -- Harteerath Singh, Neha Singh, Jag Singh, Jaskaran Singh, Ravi Singh, Amitose Singh and Harry Singh -- of Hemkunt Foundation, a Gurgaon-based non-profit organisation, are carrying out the work at the morgue of Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Kathmandu.One of the volunteers, Neha Singh, told TOI Friday that she travelled from Mumbai to Kathmandu for the voluntary service after coming across a social media post by the foundation, requesting volunteers to join them in Nepal. “The next thing I did was to fly down to Kathmandu without expecting anything,” she said, adding that volunteers were not known to each other before reaching there; and were now working as a family in this ‘sewa’ (selfless service).They say that they are totally focused on the task, and even the terrible stench of bodies has failed to deter them. Neha said, “We are here for the respect of the departed souls and the bereaved families. We don’t seek any publicity in that.”Another member of the group, Harteerath Singh, elaborated on some of the challenges being faced by them. “Due to the acute stench, sometimes, it becomes unbearable for us to stand inside the morgue even for a minute,” he pointed out.“But this is the ultimate ‘sewa’. At times, we don’t even bother to wear masks or gloves. We cover our faces with one corner of the turban cloth and just go inside to clean the bodies and floors of the morgue -- something which even the local authorities may not be willing to do,” Singh said.“We also see the positive side of it. It is the biggest opportunity for us to serve humanity.”Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.