BY Prema Sridevi

https://youtu.be/IN0ApdhYBMo

Prema Sridevi: Today, we have with us Jitender Singh Shunty. Shunty is a Padma Shri Awardee, a former MLA, and a social activist. He is the founder of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal and is currently a member of the core group of human rights defenders as part of the National Human Rights Commission.

Jitender Singh Shunty has been interviewed by celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan for his incredible work, especially during COVID-19, where he stayed in crematoriums for days without going home to conduct the last rites for hundreds of people who died due to COVID.

Mr. Shunty, thank you for joining us today.

Jitender Singh Shunty: Thank you for inviting me.

Prema Sridevi: Shunty ji, you might remember that during the peak of COVID-19, I interviewed you. I witnessed your work firsthand when you and your team conducted the last rites for hundreds of people for free. There were dead bodies all around you, and you even lost members of your team who were trying to help you during this process. Sadly, even today, there hasn't been a closure for those who lost their lives. We still don't have an accurate picture of how many people died. There are numerous allegations that the government has underreported the numbers. Have we learnt our lesson from the pandemic?

Jitender Singh Shunty: We cremated around 4,266 dead bodies of people from various communities, including Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. The situation was heart-wrenching at that time. However, the sad reality is that the situation that existed four years ago remains unchanged today. The facilities that were lacking then are still lacking now.

We treated COVID-19 like a festival that came and went. Let’s not forget that there were people who sold medicines worth 2,000 rupees for 2 lakh rupees. Oxygen cylinders worth 500 rupees were sold for 10,000 rupees, and ambulances that usually cost 1,000 rupees were sold for 88,000 rupees. In hospitals like GTB Hospital and others, we handled 50 to 70 dead bodies daily.

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