Cops' 'most wanted' handler of dead bodies & feeder of street dwellers is LDF's pick for Kanhangad civic polls

On Saturday, around 11 am, Abdul Salam, an LDF independent candidate in Hosdurg Kadappuram of Kanhangad municipality, received a call from the police informing him that a woman’s body had been found on the railway tracks. They needed assistance handling it. Even though the scrutiny of his nomination papers was scheduled for 12 noon, Salam immediately rushed to the spot. While receiving repeated phone calls from party members, he helped collect the remains, carefully assembled them, and wrapped them in a plastic sheet. By 11.50 am, he completed the task and rushed to the municipal office for scrutiny. 

Amina, his wife, was not surprised at all. She has known him for a long time. When his candidacy was announced, she had just one worry, he would rarely be at home. Salam is already occupied with multiple social work initiatives. However, once she understood that his dedication to helping others would not waver, she raised no objections and chose to support him wholeheartedly.

The 44-year-old Salam, known to most people as Salam Kerala after the name of his stationery store, is far more than a shop owner. Alongside running the store, he founded and manages the Nanmamaram Charitable Society. He is also a Civil Defence volunteer with the Kerala Fire Force and a volunteer with the Janamaithri Police.

“People have many passions, right? Mine is helping people. I’ve been doing it for years. I wasn’t very active in politics, but if I win, it will help with my social work. I’ll be able to reach many more people, that’s why I’m contesting,” says Salam.

He says police always call him to handle bodies on railway tracks or those found after days, once decomposition has begun. I, along with other volunteers, handle them humanely, with the respect the person deserves. On Saturday, a similar incident happened. I almost forgot about the scrutiny while assisting the police,” Salam says.

A tragic incident in his youthful days drove him to take up public service. "When I was doing my pre-degree, I saw a crowd near the railway tracks. A man was injured by the train. I asked everyone to help take him to the hospital. It was too late, he died after four or five days. If we had helped earlier, he would have survived. That changed me and made me dedicate my life to this,” he recounts.

Salam formed the Nanmamaram Charitable Trust during the COVID period. “At that time, I used to give food to people living on the streets. After a while, I couldn’t manage it alone, so I formed a trust. We have been providing lunch to anyone in need for the past five years without fail.”

The initiative, which began with around 250 members, now has about 1,500 across five WhatsApp groups. “The funding comes from sponsors in these groups. A designated team prepares the food. We collect it, go to our usual spot and the people in need are already there. At least twice a month we give them biriyani. During festivals like Onam and Vishu, we serve sadya and provide them with new clothes,” says Salam.

Beyond these initiatives, Salam has volunteered in several disaster-relief efforts. He was an active volunteer in Alappuzha during the 2018 floods, assisted for around 10 days during the Wayanad landslide disaster, and helped manage activities during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season.

“I gain from this too. I’ve met many people, and by helping them, I’ve built good friendships across the state. People I met during the floods still keep in touch,” he adds. Alongside all this, Salam also continues his election-related work. “I’ve set aside two hours a day for house visits. People’s response so far has been positive,” he says.

 When asked how he manages it all, he smiles and replies, “If someone really wants to do it, there is enough time for everything.” Salam lives with his wife Amina, their four children, and his mother Nabisa.