70,000 Corpses Cut by Assam 'Sweeper' Deep Lal, Shares His Story

Nagaon, February 28, 2020:

This is the story of a common man who is as integral to a medical facility in Assam's Nagaon than any doctor or technician. Deep Lal Basfor, a "sweeper" who serves at the Bhogeswari Phukanani Civil Hospital, has found himself in the spotlight because of a staggering number of corpses he has disassembled for post-mortem: 70,000.

Basfor, who was initially appointed as a sweeper, was shortly shifted to the post-mortem department, where he has become a mainstay ever since (in 1986).

Talking to mediapersons, Deep Lal says that although his job used to give him the heebie jeebies in the early years, he gained control over himself in the ensuing times. "I have been doing this since 1986. Initially, for 3 months, my hands would become unsteady, but it does not feel like a chore now.

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He reveals that he stays at the hospital from, engaging in the ghastly activity that has become as "normal" to him as eating food or drinking water.

For 3 months, he had nightmares. "I used to have nightmares, especially after dissecting corpses such as the suicide cases. But they have ceased now", the 'sweeper' turned dead man specialist tells the media, with an air of nonchalance.

In the years since, Deep Lal has become an indispensable part of the establishment, and his astounding story has now been lapped up by people who might be curious about the activities that the common man is forced to do to ensure a living. The stuff of everyday life that makes a man a legend for resilience in the face of adversity.

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