On the eve of his only child’s wedding, 55-year-old K. Hari lends a helping hand in cremating bodies at Thathaneri in Madurai. As cremation ground assistant, he will return to work on Wednesday also, after taking permission for absence for two hours.
Mr. Hari has been associated with the cremation ground since he was 15 as hereditary undertaker. Till his services were regularised, he was spending a portion of his income in planting trees, feeding the poor and providing support to physically challenged people. For the record, he has planted 2,096 trees in and around Thathaneri. Fifty of them provide shade for visitors to the cremation ground.
He has lifted 2,000 gunny bags of waste plastic from Thathaneri and continues the work to keep the area plastic-free. He has so far won 35 awards from several organisations.
“I do not own any property. My wife does not have even a gram of gold. So, I had to take a loan of ₹2 lakh at very high interest rate [60%] to solemnise the wedding of my daughter, who became my own after adoption.” he says.
When some residents of Madurai came to know of the wedding arrangement, they deemed it their duty to pitch in. One person bought wedding clothes for the whole family from a leading textile shop. A firm selling household utensils provided everything needed for a family at 50% discount.
Members of Rotary Club of Madurai Mid Town contributed money. The 1992 batch students of TVS Matriculation Higher Secondary School, some doctors and children and grandchildren of a family chipped in to enlarge the wedding kitty. One family has offered to provide a month’s provisions for the couple. Some philanthropists will foot the rent bill for the wedding hall and food. After taking care of all expenses, it has been planned to settle a portion of the usurious loan.
Mr. Hari is not unduly excited. “I take care of the cremation ground. I am happy that the community has come forward to take up my responsibility as its own.”
He wants to be of use even after death. “I have made arrangements to donate my body to Madurai Medical College.”
