Several members of the Muslim community led by All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) in Assam’s Dhubri district on Thursday performed the last rites of their Hindu neighbour Shanti Choudhary, who died on Wednesday as the relatives of the deceased could not reach his home owing to the nationwide lockdown.
Her relatives expressed their inability in joining the last rites at Panbari area; about 20 kilometers away from district headquarter due to the restrictions.
Shanti Choudhary (75) wife of Doodhnath Choudhary, a local resident of Panbari village died at about 10 am on Wednesday morning.
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The Muslim men in the area carried Shanti’s bier, following all Hindu ritual and cremated her mortal remains.
“Her family members informed their relatives for last rites but they expressed their helplessness due the nationwide lockdown,” said Dilower Hussain alias Dilbar, a local AAMSU leader who is also the organizing secretary of All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU).
“Seeing their problem, our AAMSU members along with locals gathered at her home and called a local seer to perform the rituals at home and thereafter carried the bier, chanting what the Hindus do. We also arranged for pyre and other requirements for his last rites at Panbari cremation ground,” Hussain said.
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Dilower Hussain said in the said village three to four Hindu families are living since long.
A nationwide lock-down was put in place to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the country on March 24 last.