Harish Rana’s last rites conducted, family to donate his organs

Don’t cry, he is in a happy place now, the parents of Harish Rana, the first person in India to be permitted passive euthanasia, said on Wednesday as they bid farewell to their son one last time. Harish’s last rites were conducted at the Green Park cremation ground in South Delhi on Wednesday morning, marking a quiet end to his 13-year ordeal.

In a final act of generosity, Harish’s family consented to donate five of his organs.  

The 31-year-old man passed away on Tuesday after slipping into a coma in 2013, following a fall from a fourth-floor balcony while he was a B.Tech student at Panjab University. During the last rites, Harish’s mother bid an emotional farewell to her son with folded hands and met those present, while his father Ashok Rana urged mourners not to cry, a neighbour said. Residents who attended the cremation described the atmosphere as deeply emotional. Tejas Chaturvedi, a resident of the Raj Empire Society, noted that many attendees were moved to tears during the ceremony. However, Ashok Rana continued to console others and encouraged them to remain strong in their moment of grief.  “Let no one weep.

I am praying that my son may depart in peace. Wherever he is born next, may he receive God’s blessings,” he said. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai, who visited the cremation ground to pay his respects, said that the family had confirmed the donation of five of Harish’s organs. “Harish might be gone, but he will continue to live on through the beneficiaries of his organ donation. The family has set an example before the entire nation,” Rai said. Family members, along with representatives of the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement led by women, attended the cremation to offer their prayers for Harish.

Residents from the Raj Empire Society in Ghaziabad, where the Rana family lives, also came to show their support, joining a diverse group of NGOs, AIIMS staff, relatives, and friends.

Harish’s body was transported to the cremation ground in an ambulance, and the platform was covered in rose petals. Many mourners paid their last respects with folded hands, and some placed saffron garlands on the body before it was laid upon the pyre. Ashish Rana, Harish’s younger brother, lit the pyre, accompanied by his sister, Bhavna.

Sister Lovely of the Brahma Kumaris, who has been associated with the family and travelled to the cremation ground, said that meditative chants were performed during the last rites. “The body is leaving the mortal world, but the soul is immortal and has begun a new journey,” she said.  “The family decided to donate Harish’s eyes,” Sister Lovely said.

Additionally, Sister Lovely shared that a ‘bhog’ (offering) and prayer ritual will be held by the Brahma Kumaris in the coming days, where food items that Harish enjoyed will be prepared.