This man from Kerala has retrieved over 3,000 dead bodies in the past 36 years
For the past 36 years, Abdul Azeez Madathil has retrieved more than 3,000 dead bodies from accident spots, suicide spots, rivers, and roads across Kerala.
The death of a loved one leaves an indelible mark on the family and friends. Whether it is a natural death or death due to an accident, there is no end to suffering, but when it becomes difficult to identify the victim, the families of the deceased suffer additional harm.
Reports suggest that many a times, during natural disasters or accidents, it has been witnessed that the victim’s body is left on the site due to difficulty in identifying the victim or retrieving the bodies.
But people like Abdul Azeez Madathil from Kerala have come to rescue. He has been retrieving bodies from accident sites for the past 36 years.
A rescue volunteer and a member of Olavanna grama panchayat, he has retrieved dead bodies from accident spots, suicide spots, rivers, and roads. Abdul has also been instrumental in saving umpteen number of lives. Apart from this, Abdul also cleans the dead bodies when most people just ignore them.
To date, Abdul has taken 3,000 dead bodies to the hospital across Kerala for autopsy. Abdul has been doing this noble cause since the age of 17, and his work has even got him a book by the name Daivam Paranjittanu (meaning 'because God asked me to') written by Razaq Kalleri.
It all started way back in 1983 when Abdul was only 17 years old. He rescued a three-year-old child who had fallen into a river. Unfortunately, the child couldn’t survive and died in his arms, but the villagers hailed the efforts of Abdul and his friends who tried saving the child.
Speaking to The News Minute Abdul said, “I have taken numerous dead bodies, decomposed and many days old and maggot-ridden, with my bare hands. Initially I was hesitant, but later on, I realised that someone has to do this”.
According to Abdul, the old corpses found in rivers or ponds are partially decayed. Sometimes it’s hard even to identify whether it is a man or a woman. As Abdul proceeds to do his task, people who gather around to watch the rescue operation don’t provide him a helping hand.
Abdul said, “We cannot blame them, people are disgusted looking at such bodies. But I cannot show disrespect to dead bodies even in that state,” reports The News Minute.
Now, Abdul’s contact number is on the speed dial of the police, ambulance, locals, and NGOs across Kerala.
Abdul, who works as a contractor, doesn’t take any money for his rescue operation, and bares all the cost by himself.
As Abdul said, “It’s a mission of my life. No job or no family function is more important than helping people in life-threatening situations,” reports The Hindu.
(Edited by Megha Reddy)
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