Kasaragod (Kerala)

In a touching act of compassion that transcended religious boundaries, Irfana Iqbal, a district panchayat member and local leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), performed the last rites of an abandoned Hindu man in Kerala's Kasaragod district after none of his relatives came forward to claim his body.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, 34-year-old Irfana lit the funeral pyre of 64-year-old Narayanan at the government crematorium in Chirgoli on Friday, following Hindu rituals. She stepped in after his body remained unclaimed for two days despite repeated efforts to contact his family.

Narayanan, a resident of Mencha panchayat in Kasaragod district, had reportedly been neglected by his family for several months and was forced to spend his nights on the roadside.

About a month ago, he was admitted to the Sheikh Zayed Foundation-run elderly care centre, which is supervised by Irfana. The centre currently provides shelter and care to around 50 destitute people.

Speaking about his condition, Irfana said Narayanan was suffering from advanced oral cancer. He was first admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kannur and was later referred to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment, where he died on Tuesday.

🎥 | In an act drawing appreciation on the internet, a Muslim woman panchayat member in Kerala’s northern Kasaragod region performed the last rites of a Hindu man as per his customs after the deceased person’s family declined to claim the body following his death from cancer.… pic.twitter.com/KpgqtkCViD

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According to Irfana, Narayanan had been married twice and had children from both marriages, but his family had abandoned him months before his death. Even after he passed away, none of his relatives came to claim the body.

She said the care centre contacted his close relatives and, after obtaining their written consent, decided to perform his last rites according to Hindu traditions to ensure he received a dignified farewell.

Irfana recalled that she first learned about Narayanan's plight through a local panchayat member. After securing permission from the district collector and the district medical officer, she shifted him to the elderly care centre, hoping he would recover and eventually return there. However, his condition deteriorated, and he succumbed to the illness.

She also revealed that although Friday coincided with Ashura, one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar, she chose to personally light Narayanan's funeral pyre because she had made a promise when she rescued him from the roadside.

"When I brought him from the roadside, I had assured the local people that I would not abandon him," she said. "If I could not leave him alone while he was alive, how could I leave him alone after his death?"

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In a post on social media, Irfana said she performed Narayanan's last rites "as a daughter," adding that "humanity is above religion and politics."