Boy rescued from crematorium has big dreams

From burning bodies in a crematorium to dreams of exploring universe, 11-year-old Suraj, who is being raised at a rehabilitation home, learnt to dream big the hard way. Three years ago, volunteers of Bridge of Hope, a rehabilitation programme run by Believers Church for abandoned and homeless children, had rescued him from the crematorium.

“Till a few years ago, I was burning dead bodies, often unclaimed, in a crematorium. I still don’t know who my father is. My mother is unwell and is in a hospital,” said Suraj, who is often seen engrossed with a chessboard. Nicknamed grandmaster for his prowess in chess, he rarely shows signs of a distraught childhood, a major part of which he spent in a crematorium in Mukundpur, north Delhi.

After he was rescued from the crematorium, the volunteers had a tough time gaining any information about the child, as he rarely spoke. The crematorium in-charge, who had adopted the boy, was of little help. “He (in-charge) could only share the fact that the child’s mother is a psychological patient, who is often seen roaming around in the locality,” said Bishop Simon John, head, North India, Believers Church.

Under the supervision of the Delhi police and after necessary paperwork, the child was brought to Believers Church’s Dwarka Asha Grih rehabilitation home, licensed by the Delhi government. Suraj started talking and sharing whatever little he knew about his life during the counselling session by trained psychiatrists.

Bishop John said Suraj hails from Bihar and his mother, who never told him anything about his father, used to do menial jobs to raise him. Seeing their condition, Suraj’s grandmother brought him to Delhi and his mother also joined them.

After his grandmother passed away, Suraj’s maternal uncle threw them out of his house. Bishop John said, “The disturbed mother lost her mental balance and started living outside Mukundpur crematorium. In order to take care of the psychologically-ill mother, Suraj started helping the crematorium in-charge in burning dead bodies.