Dignified Burials for COVID deceased in Kashmir - By Pratishtha Chhetri

During the lockdown, Sajad's was one of the twenty-three grocery stores in Srinagar permitted by the government to operate for a home delivery service. He took this opportunity to help fellow store owners, supplying their goods for them and thus helping them maintain a source of income during the pandemic.

The factory where Sajad supplied the material and even the machine to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits in bulk. He distributed these PPEs amongst doctors free of cost at a time when the government supply of protective gears was falling short. These kits were also used by him and his team during burials.

A machine donated by Sajad to help manufacture PPEs. 

He supplied free PPEs to doctors dealing with COVID-19 victims.

Sajad keeps the equipment required for the job - spades, sanitiser machine, PPE kits and ropes - in his car for volunteers, to ensure that burial services are managed without any harm to anyone.

The open ground where Sajad and his team of volunteers often disinfected themselves after a burial with a disinfectant spraying machine, following which they'd burn their PPEs.

Sajad spent from his own pocket for the sake of the burials.

He and his team's help was sought by many in the region, and he made sure all the burials were carried out with dignity and honour. During the pandemic, the team carried out more than 100 burials.

Sajad rummages through the old stock to clear out the expired goods. During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was seldom any demand for non-essential items which were otherwise bought by customers when they came to the grocery store. Delivery items mainly consisted of food and sanitary products. Products like cosmetics went unsold and subsequently had to be trashed.

Sajad was perturbed by the lack of activity amongst children during the extended periods of lockdown. Worried about their mental well-being, he decided to bring together the neighbourhood children for free skating lessons.

Kashmir has been under multiple lockdown since August 2019, and children haven't been to school in two years.

Sajad's finances suffered a severe blow when his travel agency shut down due to the pandemic. After multiple requests by the concerned authorities of Doon International School, Srinagar finally agreed to accept fees in installments. Sadly they didn't offer any concession in the fees even during such times.

Sajad with his family, Rasika (wife, 37), Ayaan (son, 10), Maham (daughter, 4) and Shazada Akhter (mother, 65). 

He often comes home for lunch. Sometimes, after lunch, he takes a power nap or catches up with his wife on neighbourhood news, before heading back to the store.

Sajad's daily breakfast consists of nun chai (or pink tea) with Tsot or Girda (Kashmiri bread) from the next-door bakery.

Sajad goes on a drive with his children, Ayaan (10 years) and Maham (4 years). He is a doting father and has a passion for driving.

This is the graveyard where Sajad and his team of volunteers buried most of the Covid-19 casualties. Unlike many places across the Muslim world, the graveyards are part of family possession and inheritance in Srinagar, and Nauhatta Cemetery is one such community cemetery.

Regardless of faith and religion, on receiving distress calls for burial assistance he readily agrees to help. 

“Be it anyone, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, we remain ready for the proper burial of our departed brethren,” says Sajad. Over a period of time through his work he changed the mindset of people regarding the stigma around the Covid-19 dead. For instance, earlier his team of volunteers worked anonymously but subsequently they were able to carry out burials openly and proudly, as the support for their work increased.