Meet Mangla Charan Mishra, ‘Friend of the Dead’
By Amit Ganguly
Well, that’s one worry out of the way.
Mangla Charan Mishra, a 31-year-old “god-fearing” Brahmin who lives in one of the country’s most rural districts – and one of the most starkly divided on the basis of caste and religion – says the “Brahma” (the soul of God) lives in every individual regardless of his caste or religion, and they have the right to be taken to the gates of heaven once they die. The trouble is finding a guide to get there.
Over the past six years, Mishra and his 10 volunteers have cremated as many as 850 unclaimed dead bodies, and is now known in Pratapgarh as the “Friend of the Dead”.
I spoke to Mishra on what inspired him to take up the mission, the everyday challenges he faces and what is in his future. Here are edited excerpts.
Q: When did you start doing this?
A: Back in August 2009, I was riding through the bridge on the River Sai when I saw a dead body lying somewhere in the jungle that immediately follows the river. With whatever knowledge I gained by reading religious texts, I was sure this is not the type of end one is supposed to meet, regardless of whatever he did in his whole life. It was a horrific scene, dogs were nibbling the body. I decided we should cremate it. It was spontaneous, and since then, the work still goes on.
Q: What is the source of your funds? Do you accept donations?
A: I don’t run an NGO, sir. I don’t ask for money from anyone. I spend over 50 percent of my income on this, and trust me, I have never faced any financial hardship due to this. I believe I am doing God’s work, and it’s he who is supporting me.
Q: But I am sure you cannot do this all alone, right?
A: Obviously not. I am a contractor who takes up both government and private projects. I have some daily wage labourers who work under me. In free time, it’s they who assist me. If somebody calls me and tells there is a body lying somewhere, I tell my workers and whoever is free, reaches the spot and brings the body. We have purchased cycle rickshaws dedicated for this work. We call them “Mukti Vaahan” (Vehicle of redemption).
A: Not at all. How does it make a difference? A human being is a human being, no? We have buried Muslim dead bodies also.
Q: And then, how do you get to know if he is a Hindu or Muslim?
A: The staff at post-mortem house will be able to tell you. We always take the authorities along to make sure there is no confrontation with the law by any chance. After that, I call up my Muslim friends who bury the body in accordance with their religious practices.
Q: You are an upper-class Brahmin in a society which is deeply divided on the basis of caste and religion. Didn’t this cause a problem for you?
A: Sir, indeed caste and religious differences are clearly visible if you stay here. But things are not that bad. There are people in the city who criticize me, but then, there are people who support me too.
Q: How many dead bodies have you cremated/buried so far?
A: Since August 2009, we have cremated as many as 700 dead bodies of Hindus and buried 150 Muslim dead bodies.
Q: What is the expense on one dead body?
A: For Hindus, it’s something around Rs 2700-2800 ($42-44) whereas for Muslims, it falls between Rs 3500-3600. ($55-56)
Q: I might be repeating myself, but do you bear the entire expense by yourself?
A: Yes sir. See, I don’t have a fixed monthly income of sorts. If I get a contract and suppose I am paid around 30,000-40,000, ($473-$631) I will then dump a few quintals of wood in the store room which can be used further. I believe in God, and hope that he is watching. This will help me get my right of Moksha I guess.
(Editing by Robert MacMillan; Follow Amit on Twitter @leosamit and Robert @bobbymacReports | This article is website-exclusive and cannot be reproduced without permission)
from India Insight http://ift.tt/1EsuvTb
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