Vikram Brahmane, 55, a Maharashtrian, settled in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, is doing a yeoman's service to serve humanity amid crisis-like-situation.
Vikram, who is a driver by profession, has converted a condemned vehicle into a hearse-called 'Shanti Vahan' to ferry bodies of poor COVID victims to crematoriums. Vikram has purchased this vehicle by selling jewelry, including the Mangal Sutra of his wife and the saving of his daughter.
During the second wave of COVID, Vikram's job has been increased manifold as poor people from different parts of Bhopal approached him to ferry the bodies of their family members to the cremation grounds.
My aim is to give dignified final adieu to poor patients
"My aim is to give dignified departure to poor COVID victims as most of the poor families could not afford to hire hearse to take bodies to the cremation grounds", Vikram told International Business Times over the phone, adding, "during the second wave of Coronavirus I have ferried a large number of bodies of poor virus victims".
'Shanti Vahan' is only for deprived lot and Dalits
Vikram's aim of purchasing Shanti-Vahini is to provide this service to Dalits and a marginalized lot of the society. "Unlike professionals, my focus is only to ensure that a maximum number of poor people can take benefit of our service. Resourceful people can manage vehicles to ferry bodies to cremation grounds, but the problem is only with a marginalized lot", he said, adding, "I have intentionally written 'Jai Bhim' on the vehicle so that our community members feel some emotional attachment".
Condemned vehicle modified into 'Shanti Vahan'
Vikram recalled in the year 2015, he ran from pillar to post to hire a vehicle to ferry the body of his father to a nearby crematorium but to no avail. "On that day I had decided to purchase a vehicle to provide this service to poor people", he said and added that the condemned vehicle was purchased at a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh with the help of some social workers. "From my own, I spent Rs one lakh to make it functional", he said.
He said that now members of his community are providing him some help to continue the service at this unprecedented crisis.
