Abdul Rehman Malbari, a humble man from Gujarat with his team of three other people has become a savior of humanity in these grim days of COVID-19.
Malbari runs an organization named Ekta Trust which undertakes the task of performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies for the last three decades. He, for his work, has hit the headlines time and again. Yet this time, the man has come to limelight for performing the last rites of Hindu Corona victims whose bodies reach his trust. He and his team do their best to conduct all the rituals like any Hindu.
Malbari’s incessant service
The 62-year-old has been collecting bodies for most of his life. From the Gujarat cyclone in 1998 to the Surat floods of 2006, the Bhuj earthquake of 2001, and the Mumbai and Kedarnath floods in 2005 and 2013, Abdul has been actively recovering and cremating or burying the dead or even dispersing their ashes as per their religion. He has always tried to do his best in performing all of these rites for people whose bodies are never claimed.
Since March when Covid-19 hit the country, he has joined hands with the Surat administration to perform the final rites of those who died due to the virus. Due to his incessant service, the Surat Municipal Corporation has entrusted his organization, Ekta Trust, with the work.
As of now more than 1,200 bodies of Covid patients, of whom around 800 were Hindu have been burned or buried by Malbari. Over the years, he has performed the last rites for over 70,000 bodies.
Speaking about his work, the Ekta Trust President said in an interview that he believes that humanity is the true religion and that a human’s deeds are the only thing that matters. He added that if one reads the religious texts of any religion then they will understand that each of them focuses on being humane first.
Braving the pandemic
Ekta Trust has been provided with hundreds of PPE kits from NGOs for protection. The team takes all the necessary measures instructed by the WHO while performing the last rites. Yet unfortunately, Malbari was infected with Corona Virus back in March. By God’s grace, he survived the disease. Even then he did not hesitate to continue his work.
It is his courage and noble work that has given his wife and four children the ability to not be scared of being in his contact. Yet the rest of the Surat has been staying away from his team over the fear of the virus.
These are difficult times. There was no need for mask or protection earlier. People didn’t need to fear to touch or come close to each other. But now things have completely reversed. Yet Abdul Malbari continues with his work, braving the pandemic. He provides the dignity to the dead that even his or her family is unable to give.
We salute his spirit!