Muslim woman performs last rites of Hindu man in Kerala's Kasaragod

A Muslim woman performed the final rites of a former RSS worker in Kerala's Kasaragod district on Friday (June 26) after the 64-year-old man, who had been battling terminal cancer, died with no immediate family to care for him. Irfana Iqbal, district panchayat member from the Manjeshwar division and chairperson of the development standing committee, performed the last rites of Narayanan Thottathodi. He died of oral cancer after undergoing a month-long treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Thursday (June 25).

Also read: Trainee pilot injured after walking into spinning propeller at Kanpur flying school, condition critical

The cremation took place at Narayanan's native Chigrupadavu village in Meenja panchayat in Kasaragod's Manjeshwar block on Friday afternoon. According to local residents, Narayanan, a daily wage worker and former RSS worker, had been found abandoned near a shop in Chigrupadavu about a month ago. He was suffering from advanced-stage oral cancer and was homeless following a complicated marital life. His elderly sister was reportedly unable to look after him.

Also read: ‘I want to die an Indian’: Who is 94 yo Kondragunta Mahalakshmamma who gives up US citizenship to return home

Residents said Narayanan had been an active RSS worker until around two decades ago. He had married twice and had children from his first marriage, but they were not in contact with him. Ward member Sherif Chinala informed Irfana Iqbal about Narayanan's condition. Her family runs the Sheikh Zayed Foundation, which manages the Sheikh Zayed Old Age Home.

"They called us to admit him to the home as he did not have anyone. However, we found that his health was very critical due to oral cancer," Irfana, who is also a leader of the Vanitha League, the women's wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), said.