Udupi: Abandoned woman gets a decent funeral thanks to Hindu-Muslim amity

Udupi, Mar 18: In a moving incident, Hindus and Muslims got together to arrange a decent funeral for an elderly Hindu woman, whose body was lying abandoned for five days at the mortuary of the District Hospital at In Udupi’s Ajjarakad where she died after one-and-a-half months of treatment. 

According to information later Sundari Moily’s mortal remains were cremated at Udyavara crematorium in the presence of her relatives and others on March 17.

65-year-old Sundari was admitted in the hospital around one-and-a-half months ago. She was suffering from a chronic disease and was bedridden with her mentally retarded sister at her home without medical treatment for months and there was no one to take care of her.

She was finally admitted to the hospital with the support of her relatives in Kunjarugiri near Katapady, her neighbour P A Hussain and a social worker from Ambalapady, Mr Vishu Shetty. She, however, breathed her last week in the hospital without responding to the treatment. 

When her relatives claimed her dead body, the hospital authorities refused to hand over as saying she was admitted as forsaken woman without heirs or relatives. They said if the body was to be released to the relatives, then they had to bring NOC from Padubidri Police Station and Gram Panchayat .Accordingly, the NOC was obtained from Gram Panchayat. Ravi Shetty, President of Padubidri Grama Panchayath, helped by signing the NOC. 

On the receipt of the NOC, the hospital authorities released the body to her relatives for the last rites. 

Thanks to the efforts of Udupi social worker Nithyananda Volakadu, NRI social worker/lawyer, P A Hameed Padubidri, Prakash Moily from Kunjarugiri, her neighbor P A Hussain and others, she received a respectable funeral rites in the end.

Hindu-Muslim bond

Prior to this, Sundari Moily had fallen sick around two years and was hospitalized and provided with all helps by her Muslim neighbour. When the duty doctor, reportedly ill-treated the patient in the hospital, her Muslim neighbour had protested and lodged a complaint. Even though the doctor lodged a counter complaint, the police had filed ‘B’ report and dropped the case following the statement from Sundari Moily.

The Muslim family's humanitarian gesture had sent a good message in and around the town.

Sundari Moily was married to Ramesh Devadiga from Karkala, who passed way 15 years ago. She was childless. She is now survived by her only sister, who is mentally challenged. Her two brothers, Koraga and Kitta also died years ago due to heart attack and electrocution respectively. Her mother, Radha Moily died around 7 years ago.