After family declines body, Muslim panchayat member performs Hindu man's last rites in Kerala

Kasaragod (Kerala): In a story that reflects Kerala's enduring spirit of communal harmony, compassion rose above religious boundaries after a Muslim woman, a public representative, performed the last rites of a Hindu man whose family declined to claim his body.

Narayanan (64), a resident of Chigrupadavu in Manjeswaram, died of advanced-stage cancer at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital on Thursday after nearly a month of treatment.

He had earlier been found weak, starving, and abandoned outside a shop in Kasaragod, following which local authorities and volunteers stepped in to help.

When police informed his relatives after his death, they reportedly chose not to take custody of the body.

They instead authorised Kasaragod district panchayat development standing committee chairperson Irfana Iqbal to complete the final rites.

Honouring Narayanan's faith, Iqbal personally led his cremation at a Hindu public crematorium in Uppala, ensuring every ritual was performed according to Hindu customs.

Images of the purdah-clad elected representative carrying out the ceremonies quickly spread across social media, with many praising the gesture as a powerful reminder that humanity transcends religious identity.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Iqbal wrote that she performed Narayanan's last

rites ‘as a daughter’, adding that humanity stands above religion and politics.

She also expressed hope that more abandoned elderly people would receive similar care and dignity.

Iqbal said her community raised no objections, noting that volunteers associated with the charitable foundation regularly conduct the final rites of orphaned inmates according to their respective faiths.

At a time when stories of religious division often dominate headlines, the quiet act from Kerala has resonated across the country as a testament to empathy, dignity and the state's long-celebrated tradition of communal coexistence.