Mortuary attendant-turned-candidate banks on years of public service

He has never shied away from an opportunity to serve the community, whether it was clearing overgrown shrubbery in a neighbour’s yard or assisting the police during emergencies.

Having spent nearly a decade in the mortuary of the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, Wilfred Raj, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the Nadakkavu division of the Kozhikode Corporation, sees his new role as a natural continuation of the service he has always rendered to the public.

As a mortuary attendant, Mr. Raj assisted the forensic team in conducting post-mortem examinations. Over the years, he helped with 7,159 autopsies and attended to the bodies of several prominent individuals, including former RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, before retiring seven years ago.

“I live near the railway track and have been helping the police with inquests since childhood. So working in the mortuary was not difficult for me. I could grasp the intricacies of post-mortem procedures quickly,” he told The Hindu. Despite the demanding nature of his work and irregular hours, Mr. Raj has been active in initiating various changes in his locality. “I make myself available to every household in the area, whatever the emergency is,” he said.

Mr. Raj is no stranger to politics. His father was a social worker and a member of the Janata Party. Although he was a staunch Congress supporter for 45 years, he missed the opportunity to contest elections twice. He sustained injuries during a lathi-charge at a protest against the proposed sewage treatment plant at Avikkal Thodu in 2022. When a representative of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) approached him with an offer to contest the local body polls, he accepted.

Well ahead in his campaign, Mr. Raj has already visited most houses in his division. His family—including his wife, two children, and grandchildren—remains the biggest support in his mission to serve society better.

Agnivesh S. Cheroth (Congress), Praveen Thaliyil (BJP), and Ramani Thattapparambil (AAP) are the other candidates contesting in the Nadakkavu division.