St Teresa of Kancheepuram bestows dignity on the dead

CHENNAI: Mother Teresa brought dignity to the homeless, who were dying, by tending to them. This former policeman in Kancheepuram does it by arranging to cremate their bodies after they die.
When his mother died, R Srinivasan didn't have money to perform her last rites. She died in the morning but the body remained in his house until a friend managed to collect money from neighbours and arranged for cremation the next day.Today, Srinivasan has cremated more than 600 bodies of abandoned and destitute people, who are often found dead in bus stands and other public places in Kancheepuram.
Without any funding and support, this retired policeman has been doing this service for more than 18 years. He doesn't want publicity, but he would like more people do such service.
Each time the body of a destitute is cremated, Srinivasan in a way pays tribute to his mother. "I was 12 when my mother died. We were poor. There was no money left for my mother's cremation. A friend finally turned up to help us. He went to the junction and collected money, mostly coins, for the funeral," said the 63-year-old.
As a tribute to his mother, Srinivasan wanted to cremate the abandoned and the destitute who die in public places. Apparently, it took some time for him to get into action due to some family responsibilities. "My mother's body was lying inside the house for a long time. I didn't know what to do. It's our responsibility to cremate the body after one's death with all the rituals that one deserves. When I started this, I didn't have any support from society. But today, many support me and the response is huge," said Srinivasan.
Many cremate the body of the destitute and the abandoned, but the way Srinivasan does it sets him apart. He takes the body in a special carriage decorated with flowers. "I give respect to the body. I follow all the rituals. The bodies are typically kept in the mortuary for ten days. If no one claims it, they inform me and I go there, take the body and cremate it with all the respect," he said.
Srinivasan spends almost all his pension on this noble act. "My son takes care of my household expenses. For me, it's a service to society," said Srinivasan.