France-based NRI hands over to families ashes of 10 Indians who died in the pandemic

By Amiya Kumar Kushwaha
New Delhi [India], November 8 : A France-based non-residential Indian (NRI) has come to India with the ashes of 10 Indians, who died in France in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to hand them over to their family members.
Among them, seven died of the COVID-19.
Iqbal Singh Bhatti (65), who has been residing in France for the last 29 years, said that he also has been taking care of Indians admitted to various hospitals in Paris and thanked God for saving him so far.
In 2005, he founded an organisation, Association of Human Rights, Aurore-Dawn, to return the remains of deceased Indians to their families.
Bhatti said whenever he came to India, he brought the ashes of Indians, who died alone in France, and delivered them to their families for the last rituals. "Out of the 10, I brought this time, two have already been taken by the family members in Delhi. I will go Jalandhar to hand over the others."
The Association of Human Rights, Aurore-Dawn, registered in France, has brought 178 bodies from Paris to India till now.
"We also carry out the cremation in Paris with the permission of the family and bring back the ashes. Till now, we have brought 22 people's ashes," he said.
Around 13 Indians died during the pandemic in France, Bhatti quoted reports. With the help of the Indian Embassy, Bhatti sent two bodies to India. He clarified that the two did not die due to the coronavirus.