A Hero Who Gave Dignity to 70,000+ Forgotten Souls. Join Jitender Singh’s Journey To Honor The Abandoned

It was 1996. At a facility in Delhi, Jitender Singh Shunty saw a father stealing half-burnt logs from someone else’s pyre - not for fire, but to perform last rites for his son.

“I thought he was stealing. But when I stopped him, he broke down and told me his 13-year-old son had just died. He had begged outside the facility all day, but couldn’t gather enough to buy wood. So he was taking what remained from someone else’s pyre so that his boy could at least have his last rites. Even in death, poverty had followed his child," - Shunty recalls.

That moment split Shunty’s life into before and after

"That day, I decided, no matter how poor you are, your last journey will be your right, not your privilege. They called me ‘mad’ too, but I chose to wear that as a badge of honour." - Shunty, Founder

To date, Shunty has performed last rites for over 70,000 dead bodies, out of which 4,000 were during the pandemic

Two decades later, the crisis of 2020 pushed that vow to its limits. Facilities overflowed. Ambulances refused to collect bodies. Families were locked in isolation while their loved ones lay unclaimed. Fear gripped the living while the dead were left waiting.

"In a single day, I’ve brought in 115 bodies, 40 to 45 were from homes where no ambulance had gone. We sanitised them, wrapped them, prayed over them, and lit their pyres. Many were young; in some homes, 3 or 4 family members were gone. There was no one left to say goodbye."

Their loyal ambulance driver succumbed to the virus himself while carrying patients

Among his team was Aarif Khan, an ambulance driver who ferried over 200+ victims during unprecedented times of 2020, risking their lives day and night before succumbing to the virus himself in 2020. "He worked 24x7. His loss broke the morale of our entire team. But it also reminded us why this work matters so much."

We don’t just perform last rites for people, we carry the trust of families who couldn’t be there themselves.

People think our work is about death, and it ends when the fire burns out, but for us, it begins with the first phone call from a grieving family and ends only when we’ve given their loved one the respect they deserve. It's about easing their grief, knowing their loved one’s last moments were not of neglect, but of honour.

"Some days, I wonder if we can go on. Then I remember that father from 1996 and I know stopping is not an option."-  Shunty confesses

Each last rite costs about Rs.14,000 from ambulance fuel, wood, and staff wages. Their monthly expenses cross Rs.10 lakhs. We urgently need an ambulance.

In their time of need, your support can keep the flames of dignity alive. Every contribution brings them closer to ensuring that no one, not even the poorest, is denied the right to their final journey. Contribute to support them

About the NGO: Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal Foundation is a New Delhi-based non-profit founded in 1997 by Padma Shri awardee Jitender Singh Shunty, inspired by the belief that “Service to humanity is service to God.” For over 25 years, the organization has been dedicated to providing critical emergency services and performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies. Over time, it has expanded its scope to address the evolving needs of the people of Delhi, continuing its mission of selfless public service.