On Muharram, IUML leader performs last rites for abandoned Hindu man in Kerala – ‘Humanity above religion’

3 min readThiruvananthapuramJun 27, 2026 07:39 PM IST

Irfana Iqbal, 34, a member of the Kasaragod district panchayat representing Manjeshwar division, volunteered to perform the last rites. (Special arrangement photo)

A leader of the Indian Union Muslim League lit the funeral pyre of an abandoned elderly man at the public crematorium in Kasaragod’s Chirugali on Friday.

Irfana Iqbal, 34, a member of the Kasaragod district panchayat representing Manjeshwar division, volunteered to perform the last rites of Narayanan, 64, after his family members did not claim his body from the morgue for over two days.

Irfana runs an old age home under Sheikh Zayed Foundation at Manjeshwar, where 50 abandoned persons are taken care of. Narayanan, a native of Meencha panchayat in Kasaragod, was found alone and sleeping on shop verandas when Sheikh Zayed Foundation took him in.

“Narayanan died of oral cancer at a medical college hospital in Kozhikode on Tuesday. He had been married to two women and had children from both relations. His family abandoned him months ago. Even after his death they did not come to claim his body. I spoke to his close relatives and got their written consent to perform the last rites as per Hindu traditions. We have given him a decent adieu,’’ said Irfana.

In a Facebook post she wrote, “…I performed Narayanettan’s last rites as a daughter. Humanity is above religion and politics.”

Irfana said she learnt about Narayan’s condition from a local panchayat member a month ago. “I got in touch with the District Collector and the District Medical Officer and got their consent to admit Narayanan to our old age home. But his health was deteriorating. We admitted him to the government medical college in Kannur. Our plan was to take him back to the old age home when his health improves,” she said.

Narayanan was diagnosed with advanced-stage oral cancer and had to be referred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, where he died on Tuesday.

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Irfana, who performed Narayanan’s last rites on Friday when Muharram was observed across the country, said it was her decision to claim his body and give it a dignified cremation. “Although Muharram was observed on Friday with all its sacredness, I decided to light the pyre. When I brought him from the street last month, I had promised the local people that Narayanan would be lodged at my old age home. I could not abandon him in death,” said Irfana.

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Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.

Expertise, Experience, and Authority

Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.

Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes:

Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.

Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.

Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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