PFI, SDPI activists perform last rites of Hindu woman after own community disowns her

Mangaluru, Sept 5: At a time when communal hatred is plaguing the coastal Karnataka, an act of kindness goes a long way. When the relatives and community members of a 65-year-old Hindu woman did not come forth to perform her last rites, following her death, the local activists of Popular Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India stepped up to give her a proper funeral.

The woman in question, Susheelamma, hailing from Siddakatte in Bantwal taluk breathed her last on Saturday (September 1) due to age related illness at Kuchigudde in Addoor in Mangaluru taluk. She is survived by four children – two sons and two daughters – who are living in abject poverty. 

Susheelamma, who had shifted from Siddakatte to Kuchigudde, was living alone after her children shifted to different places. Recently her health condition deteriorated and she underwent treatment at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru. As her health condition improved a bit, her sons took her to her residence on Saturday. However, all of a sudden her condition worsened again and she breathed her last around 4 p.m.

The woman’s aggrieved children sought the help of their relatives and local Hindus to perform the last rites. However, no one was ready to help. A local leader of Bajrang Dal also reportedly refused to provide any assistance.

It is learnt that Susheelamma’s relatives had cut all the relationship with her after one of her daughters married a man belonging to another caste (within Hindu community).

When the local Muslims came to know about Susheelamma’s death and her children’s helplessness, they brought the issue to the notice of the SDPI and PFI activist, who immediately rushed help them. They also tried to fetch some local Hindu leaders to perform the funeral rites. As none of them came forward, the activists booked an ambulance and took the body to the Badakabail crematorium. They also bought items worth Rs 6,000 for cremation and performed the final rites at 12.55 am the same night.

A K Mustafa, Ashraf Nadugudde, Zainuddin Pandel, Hakim Pandel, Jabbar Kuchigudde, Anwar Golipadpu, Nazeer Kelaginamane, Shafique Gudde, Abdul Sattar, Sauraz Imran were among those who assisted the aggrieved children of Susheelamma.

A similar incident

This was the second such incident reported from the communally sensitive district of Dakshina Kannada in last two-and-a-half months. In June this year, Muslim residents of Janaswati Colony, at Vidyapura in Puttur taluk had performed the last rights of 52-year-old Hindu woman Bhavani after she died of heart attack.

Though Bhavani’s relatives were aware of her death no one had come forward to perform her funeral rites. Bhavani’s cousin, Krishna, who she lived with, alleged that despite him informing her paternal cousins and other relatives, who lived barely a few kilometres away, the family members refused to attend the cremation. Moreover, local activists of hardline Hindutva groups such as RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, also had stayed away from the funeral.

Krishna said that Bhavani’s relatives were more economically sound that she was and perhaps that’s why they were embarrassed to attend the ceremony. Bhavani had been working as a beedi roller at a private company in Puttur for about 45 years.