Heartbreaking Scene in Hamirpur: Son Carries Mother’s Body on Foot After Officials Deny Hearse
Let me tell you about something that happened last week in Hamirpur – one of those stories that just sticks with you, you know? The kind that makes you stop scrolling and really think. A son had to carry his mother’s body on a stretcher for a full kilometer because some official decided rules were more important than basic human decency.
What Actually Went Down
So here’s how it played out. The Yamuna Bridge was under repair – okay, fair enough, infrastructure needs maintenance. But get this: when Shivdevi’s family tried to take her body across in a hearse for her final rites, they got stopped cold. “Safety protocols,” they were told. Never mind that this was a grieving family trying to bury their mother.
And here’s the thing that gets me – nobody offered an alternative. No temporary access, no escort, nothing. Just a flat no. So what were her sons supposed to do? Leave her there? Of course not. They did what any of us would do – carried her themselves. Can you imagine? Walking a kilometer with your mother’s body because some pencil-pusher couldn’t be bothered to show an ounce of compassion?
How People Reacted
Social media exploded when this got out. Like wildfire. #JusticeForShivdevi started trending within hours. And honestly? The anger was completely justified. One local put it perfectly: “Since when did we become a society that treats the dead like inconvenient baggage?”
But here’s what really got people riled up – the official response. Or should I say, the lack of one. Some vague statement about “structural concerns” that didn’t explain why they couldn’t make a single exception for a funeral procession. Makes you wonder – if this was their mother, would the rules have been so rigid?
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about one bad decision though. It’s about how our systems keep failing regular people. A lawyer friend told me something that stuck – “Laws should serve people, not the other way around.” And he’s right. What good are rules if they make us less human?
Think about it – no backup plan for emergencies? No protocol for something as basic as a funeral? That’s not just poor planning, that’s institutional indifference. And it keeps happening – remember that case last year in Bihar? Almost identical situation.
Where Do We Go From Here?
People aren’t just angry – they’re demanding change. There’s talk of petitions, policy reforms, even protests. And honestly? It’s about time. We need clear guidelines for these situations – maybe a special hotline for funeral processions during construction, or designated officers who can make judgment calls.
But more than that, we need to remember what really matters. That family wasn’t transporting cargo – they were saying goodbye to their mother. The last act of love a child can perform. And we made them do it like animals.
As I write this, I keep thinking about Shivdevi’s sons. The determination it must have taken to make that walk. The officials who stopped them will probably forget this incident by next week. But those boys? They’ll remember every step of that kilometer for the rest of their lives.
Maybe that’s the wake-up call we all need. Rules exist to serve people – not the other way around. When we forget that, we stop being a society and start being something much colder.
Source: Navbharat Times – Default
