BHOPAL: A few young Rozedars in the city have served humanity during the holy month of Ramzan by helping the victims of the second wave of Covid-19. Their services range from arranging for oxygen cylinders for the patients to holding a decent funeral for the dead.
They feel that they are fulfilling their religious obligation of Zakat by helping the patients and their families. They are ready to serve people round the clock and, most of the time, they have to break their Roza even in the graveyards and funeral grounds. Here is what they told Free Press. Excerpts:
Ferrying oxygen during Roza
We're arranging for oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients in home isolation and in hospitals. We have around 80 big and 10 small cylinders. On demand, we get these cylinders filled and reach them to the persons in need. We provide the service of ferrying the cylinders to the filling points, getting them filled with the gas and then taking them to the patients. The charges for the gas are paid by the family of the patients. We arrange for the cylinders free of cost for patients who canít afford them. We have three vehicles for the purpose and we operate them in three shiftsó4 am to 3 pm; 5 pm to 1 am and 2 am to 6 am. At one time, we can carry 10 large cylinders in a vehicle. Nowadays, we have to wait for up to 16 hours in the queue to get the cylinders filled. Most of the time, we break Roza in the vehicle, itself, or at hospitals. One of these days, some Hindu friends of ours arranged Iftar for us"- Omar Aslam , social activist
Providing Kafan for the dead
We're providing Kafan (shrouds) for dead Covid patients. Normally, the shroud costs Rs 950 per piece for women and Rs 750 for men. However, there are some people who are blackmarketing shrouds. They are selling them for Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,000. We provide shrouds on a no-profit-no-loss basis to the kin of the dead. We keep five shrouds each for males and females ready and prepare more on request. Weíre available round the clock and we supply shrouds in different areas of the city. In case the family is unable to pay, we donít charge anything. We keep dates and water ready with us and break fast wherever we are. Not a day goes by when we donít get a single request for shrouds."- Mohammed Amir Zaid, businessman
Last rites for the abandoned
We perform the last rites of the dead who are abandoned by their families or those who have no one to perform their funeral. Since last year, weíve performed burials of almost 1,500 bodies. Weíve also cremated around 15-20 bodies. Some time ago, we received a call that a Covid-19 patient had died on the fifth floor of a building at Danish Nagar and no one was ready to touch his body. We reached there, brought the body down and performed its funeral. Most of the time, we break our Roza at the cremation or burial grounds."- Shoeb, social activist
Supplying cylinders drom shops
I run a vehicle denting-painting shop. We, mechanics, use cylinders for welding. Nowadays, shops are closed due to the lockdown. Iíve collected cylinders lying unused at shops and given them to a person who fills them with oxygen and provides them to the patients. So far, Iíve supplied around 15-20 cylinders. People are in great distress these days. I feel that helping them is the best thing one can do in this holy month."- Mujahid Khan, automobile mechanic
