A True Hero: Meet Varsha Varma, The Woman Who Helped Cremate Unclaimed Bodies During Lockdown
She is a mother, a daughter, a wife. But, above all, she considers herself a human being and wants to spend her life in service to humanity. When the coronavirus pandemic struck, she was on the streets while most of us were protecting ourselves at our homes. She was not on the streets for herself, but for those who had no one in this world.
She is a mother, a daughter and wife. But above all she considers herself a human being and wants to spend her life in service to humanity. When the coronavirus pandemic struck, she was on the streets while most of us were keeping safe in the confines of our homes. She stepped out of her home not for herself but for those who had no one in this world.
Varsha Verma
We are talking about Varsha Varma, a resident of Lucknow. During the lockdown, Varsha had cremated more than 10 unclaimed dead bodies. At a time when their own families and loved ones let go of their hands, Varsha emerged as a messiah for them.
In a conversation with Indiatimes Hindi, Varsha explained how she became the slogan of LIC for such people: ¡®Zindagi Ke Saath Bhi, Zindagi Ke Baad Bhi!¡¯
Varsha said it was during the nationwide lockdown when she saw an unclaimed corpse and realised there was no one to perform the last rites. When authorities didn¡¯t receive any claims that¡¯s when she decided to perform the last rites. She also got support of Deepak Mahajan, the president of an organisation called Divya Praya.
Varsha Verma
After that, both Varsha and Deepak started working together. In the last few years, Varsha was also working with the poor and the needy. She arranges food and all health treatment for them. She has been doing this for some years now. However, performing the last rites was a challenge for her during the pandemic.
Varsha Verma
During the pandemic, those who came in contact with the dead bodies were also at risk of infection. However, they worked by following all the health standards prescribed by experts during the pandemic.
Varsha, referring to an incident, said, "A 60-year-old man was injured in a road accident. He was admitted to KGMU (King George's Medical University) in Lucknow for treatment, but due to serious injury in his leg and excessive bleeding, he died during the treatment. After the post-mortem when we received the dead body, there was a strong smell of decay emanating from the body. But, undeterred, our team cremated the body with respect at Bhaisakund Electric Cemetery in Lucknow without any panic."
Varsha Verma
According to Varsha, she cremated more than 10 unclaimed dead bodies in the lockdown. Even before this, she has performed the last rites of many unclaimed dead bodies found on roads. She feels that during this tough time, she must stand with those in need. She said that she also works to feed and bathe elderly women.
Varsha does all this without any government support. Yes, she does get support from some friends and colleagues. The kind of work that Varsha is doing for the people is more valuable than can be imagined. Society needs more people like her.