Ashraf Thamarassery

Ashraf
Born	1974 Thamarassery Wayanad district
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Social worker
Known for	Social activism
Awards	Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2015 [1] UAE Golden Visa-Talents (Pioneers of humanitarian work) [2]

Ashraf Thamarassery (born 1974) is an Indian social worker based in Dubai. His work has primarily focused on bringing the bodies of Indian nationals back to India after dying abroad.

He was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman^[3] in 2015 by Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India, for his social works and efforts. The Kerala state government nominated him for Padma Shr, the fourth highest civilian award in India.^[4] He is a member of Loka Kerala Sabha. Filmmaker Reshel Shah Kapoor produced a six-minute documentary focused on Ashraf, titled ‘The Undertaker.^[5][6]

Personal life

Ashraf Thamarassery was born in 1974 in Wayanad district, Kerala.

Social work

Ashraf has helped about 5,000 families from around the world to fly the bodies of their loved ones who died overseas.^{[7][8][9][10]} He was involved with the repatriation of actress Sridevi’s body, which was found in Dubai in 2018.^[11][12][13]

Awards and accolades

• 2014 – Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
• UAE Golden Visa-Talents (Pioneers of humanitarian work) ^[14]
• R. Ramesh Memorial Diaspora Award 2018 ^[15]
• In 2018, the Kerala government nominated him for the Padma Shri Award ^[16]

References

1. "Two Indian expats in UAE receive Pravasi Bharatiya Award".
2. "Renowned Indian social worker Ashraf Thamarassery honoured with UAE golden visa". June 2024.
3. "Two Indian expats in UAE receive Pravasi Bharatiya Award". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
4. "When airlines demand their pound of flesh, Ashraf Thamarassery stands up for the dead". OnManorama. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
5. Newbould, Chris (26 June 2017). "How Dubai filmmaker Reshel Shah discovered the UAE's accidental undertaker". The National. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
6. Zachariah, Serene Sarah (28 April 2020). "Kerala's Man of 'Final Goodbyes' Has Helped Bring Back 5000 Bodies of Expats". The Better India. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
7. "Ashraf Thamarassery: serving the dead to help the living". gulfnews.com. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
8. https://www.ijrar.org/papers/IJRAR24A1007.pdf
9. TwoCircles.net (10 January 2015). "Expat Kozhikode's son fetches 'Pravasi Bhartiya Samman' for his selfless service to grieving kin". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
10. "'Guardian of the dead' inspired by Year of Giving". gulfnews.com. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
11. "Meet Ashraf Thamarasery, the man who helped Sridevi's remains return to India". India Today. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
12. "Sridevi's body repatriated by Keralite Ashraf Thamarassery". English Archives. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
13. "Sridevi looked like a sleeping beauty: Keralite social worker". OnManorama. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
14. Ghosh, Subrata. "UAE-based Indian-origin social worker Ashraf Thamarassery honoured with prestigious golden visa | Northeast Herald". Northeast Herald. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
15. "R. Ramesh Memorial Diaspora Award to Ashaf Thamarassery". www.indiansinkuwait.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
16. Fatima, Sakina (1 June 2024). "Renowned Indian social worker Ashraf Thamarassery honoured with UAE golden visa". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 5 July 2024.