A Kerala Story: Muslim Performs Last Rites Of Hindu Who Died In A Christian Orphanage

Thiruvananthapuram: In a heartwarming story from Kazhakkoottam, a young woman’s final journey turned into a moving lesson on humanity that transcended religion, caste, and community. Rakhi, a cancer patient living in a Christian-run orphanage, had her last rites performed not by her family, but by a man she had never met – a Muslim ward member and local Congress leader who stepped forward when no one else did.

Rakhi, originally from another state, had been staying at the Benedict Menni Psycho Social Rehabilitation Centre.Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Menamkulam under the care of Christian nuns. Along with her battle against cancer, she was also receiving treatment for mental illness. Her relatives, if any, remained unknown. But before her death, Rakhi had expressed a simple wish: that her funeral be conducted as per Hindu traditions.

When she last week, those present were troubled by the uncertainty of who would carry out her final rites. It was then that T Safeer, a ward member of Chirattamukku in Kathinamkulam Grama Panchayat, heard the news and quietly stepped in. Although he had no personal connection with Rakhi, Safeer felt it was his human duty to honour her last wish.

On Friday, at Shanti Theeram in Kazhakkoottam, Safeer performed the rites in keeping with Hindu custom, ensuring Rakhi a dignified farewell. The act, captured and shared by a friend on social media, quickly became a story of compassion that resonated far beyond the local community.

This was not the first time Safeer had taken on such a responsibility. In the past, he had conducted funerals for two Hindus and even one Muslim from the same orphanage – people abandoned in death as they perhaps had been in life. In the quiet actions of one man, Kerala once again revealed the heart of its true tradition: that compassion has no religion.