A Muslim woman panchayat member in Kerala's Kasaragod has won hearts for performing the last rites of a Hindu man according to his customs.
The woman, Irfana Iqbal, took the initiative after the deceased's family declined to claim the body following his death from cancer.
Narayanan, a 64-year-old native of Chigrupadavu in Manjeswaram, died at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital after undergoing treatment for advanced-stage cancer for nearly a month.
Iqbal, the development chairperson of the Kasaragod district panchayat, said she was informed about Narayanan's condition by a ward member and arranged for his primary care and hospitalization with the help of volunteers.
After Narayanan's death, the local police informed his relatives, but they were unwilling to claim the body, authorizing Iqbal to receive the body and perform the funeral rites.
Iqbal led the last rites at a Hindu public crematorium in Uppala, and the visuals soon went viral on social media.
In a Facebook post, Iqbal said, 'No close relative came. I performed Narayanettan's last rites as a daughter. Humanity is above religion and politics.'
Kasaragod Lok Sabha MP Rajmohan Unnithan described Iqbal as 'a symbol of a new era in public service and a source of hope.'
