Indians in the U.S. are grappling with uncertainty and fear for themselves and those around them, as well as for their loved ones across the world. - NBCAsianAmerica This article is published in partnership with FullerProject.
The last time Benson Neethipudi saw his maternal grandmother, Manimma Kambham, in person was at his wedding in January 2020 — just before the pandemic hit.
Being a single parent was made even more difficult for Kambham because she was Dalit, a group of people formerly labeled as “untouchable” according to the caste hierarchy. They are subject to individual and systemic discrimination, exclusion and violence, and Dalit women are vulnerable toKambham fought for her children’s futures, herding buffalo and working on farms to feed, clothe and educate them.
But with deaths from Covid peaking around that time, the cemetery had no more space. The siblings had to bury their beloved matriarch in the same burial plot as her son. Neethipudi, who lives in New York City and works as a public-sector consultant, could not be there; he tried to watch the last rites via a grainy, halting video on WhatsApp.
Sudha Manjrekar, Lata D’Mello, their youngest sister, Usha D'Mello, with Usha's son, Mahir Monis, 2012.Growing up, Lata D’Mello mimicked everything her older sister Sudha Manjrekar did. She wore the same clothes, adopted the same mannerisms and embraced the same friends. D’Mello recalled fondly the time they spent together when she traveled back to India: The sisters loved theater and would line up a marathon of local plays to watch. On such a visit a few years ago, they strolled down Mumbai’s Marine Drive after a date at the theater. As they walked hand in hand, taking bites out of their roasted street corn, they joked at how they blended into a steady stream of romantic couples trickling through the promenade.
“She was 63 years old and she was looking forward to doing so many things, so I’m angry that she missed those opportunities … but it’s not an anger directed at anyone,” she said. “I have a general anger towards or critique of governments that do not take care of their own and demand that people vote for them.”Shamin Humayun was visiting her son’s family in Switzerland when the pandemic hit.
Khan announced the death on an extended family group chat, requesting that relatives don’t immediately text or call to give his family some room to process their loss. But almost immediately, his mother regained her composure and told him that it was her job to comfort others who were also grieving for Nani Ami. She could not turn those people away.
“In our faith tradition, there’s this idea that the dead are not truly dead, that their souls are still alive, and the ways in which we, who are still living, connect with the souls that have passed away is through doing acts of service in their name,” said Khan, who set up a Covid relief fund in his grandmother’s memory. “Through any good we do that was taught to us by those who passed away, it further elevates their souls in the next realm.
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