“I have taken 2,628 dead bodies to hospitals across Kerala for autopsy till date,” Madhathil Abdul Azeez said, not happy with the mention of ‘more than 2,500 bodies.’ This member of the Olavanna grama panchayat has been a rescue volunteer for most of his life and has been instrumental in saving umpteen number of lives.
Azeez’s phone number is on speed dial for all those who deal with emergencies in Kozhikode and nearby districts. Whenever and wherever there is a major accident or a life-threatening situation, he will be one of the first volunteers on the spot.
“This is the mission of my life. No job or no family function is more important than helping people in life-threatening situations,” Azeez told The Hindu on the sidelines of yet another function where he was honoured for his selfless acts.
Mr. Azeez, whose life story Daivam Paranjittanu (Because God asked me to) written by Razaq Kalleri, was released on Wednesday, has been doing his duty to fellow human beings, without expecting any remuneration, for 35 years. He was one of the volunteers at Pookkipparamba when a bus caught fire there almost a decade and a half ago. He was also there at Kadalundi when a train fell into the river in 2001. Azeez was one of the first to come to the aid of those in need on the coasts of Kozhikode during Cyclone Ockhi. Though he has retrieved many bodies from massive accident sites, many of whom may have been alive, there are nine people whom he rescued personally from a hanging rope or blazing fire.
He was only 17 when he first dove into a river to rescue a child in his neighbourhood. Though he could not save the child, the dive changed his life forever. Now at 53, Azeez gets involved in situations no one else would dare to, including retrieval of dead bodies that are days old.
Having been honoured with many awards, Azeez considers the honour accorded by his friends and well-wishers on April 4 as a special one. A docu-fiction based on him — Avasanathe Kai (The Last Hand) — by Santhosh P. Velliman was also released on the occasion.
