The Marshall Aid Foundation, created by city youths during the Covid-19 pandemic to cremate unclaimed bodies, has been still continuing its mission and cremating such bodies with dedication. They even immerse the ashes of the deceased in water bodies located in Punjab and Haridwar.
Started with only 10 members during the pandemic, the foundation has surpassed 1,000 volunteers in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Zonal Commissioner Jasdev Singh Sekhon, who is also associated with the foundation, had been playing a key role in the mission.
Founder of the organisation Keshav Guddu said: “The foundation has been running for the past five years with the support of many generous residents of Ludhiana. Whatever help we receive from people, we use it to carry forward the service.”
He said the foundation has so far performed the last rites of 4,027 unclaimed and destitute bodies. An unclaimed body was cremated on Thursday.
“Three unclaimed bodies were recovered a few days ago from areas under different police stations in Ludhiana. All three were cremated together. For a long time, the foundation has been performing the last rites of people, kin of whom were not coming forward. Our team will continue the noble work in the future as well,” Guddu said.
Lauding the initiative, Zonal Commissioner Sekhon said: “The team is doing excellent work and we should support such people. We are grateful to them for carrying out the virtuous service.”
Guddu said they keep the ashes of all deceased at one place and after every month, all members visit Haridwar or other water bodies in the state, including Beas, to immerse the ashes. Once in a year, they also visit Gaya, Bihar, to perform Pind Daan. “We perform such rituals considering the deceased as our family members with prayers for salvation for the departed souls,” he said.