1/5. Burying 1,100 bodies and loads of prejudice. With stigma and hostility disrupting several Covid-19 funerals, a voluntary group in Tamil Nadu has helped 1,000 families conduct them regardless of religion or caste since March
#COVID19 #coronavirus https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/burying-1100-bodies-and-loads-of-prejudice/

2/5. The volunteers of the Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam help distressed families – some of whom have been threatened by mobs at burial grounds – and conducted funerals according to the traditions of the victim’s religion
#Covid_19 #coronavirus #TamilNadu

3/5. The nearly 1,000 TMMK volunteers work in teams of 6-8 across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As team members quarantine themselves for some days after each funeral, they’ve seen very little of their own families since late March
#Covid_19 #coronavirus #TamilNadu

4/5. Their efforts have won praise from district police superintendents, doctors, health inspectors, panchayat leaders. Cops and health officials often call TMMK teams knowing they won’t back off from handling Covid-19 deaths
#Covid_19 #coronavirus #TamilNadu

5/5. The volunteers are all young Muslims in the age group 22-40. The 1,100 funerals they’ve done seem diversely spread across those of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and other faiths. They follow all medical protocols in burying the dead
#Covid_19 #coronavirus #TamilNadu