Meet Ashraf Thamarassery | The All-Time Unsung Hero Expatriate


Mammootty and Mohanlal came together and bought it. Tovino Thomas received it two days ago. The famous RJs and actors Mithun and Nyla Usha bought it yesterday.

Yes, of course, the actors and the celebrities. Aren't they the breadwinners of all the Malayalees living in the UAE? If they do not get it then who?

Maybe that is the reason why MA Yusufali Sir gave it to those who deserved it by understanding the mindset of the Keralites.

This is the case with the UAE Golden Visa we are talking about!

But no matter how great a celebrity is, he or she will die one day. Expatriates have no guarantee of their survival.

But we do have a guarantee that our dead bodies will reach our home safe. But I guarantee it, not because of these so-called celebrities. It is because of this person. I have experienced the great services that this man does without being paid a single penny. If these golden visas are given to our celebrities to make the Malayalees happy, we have to say only one thing. He is the real celebrity in our minds because there are some things beyond songs and films. There are situations in our life when we cry for help. And I haven't seen any of these celebrities but him.

Sometimes we should announce these factors to the public to make them understand who are the real deserving ones. In most cases, we keep mum. And the reason is nothing. But in this case, I can't be silent. I have to say to this world that there is this man whom you can approach for any help here around in UAE.

We should be appreciating everyone. but what is the point when the most deserving one isn't being accepted even by a single word of appreciation?


Who is Ashraf Thamarassery?

Listed only as "Ashraf" on the official paperwork in Dubai is Ashraf "Sherry" Thamarassery, a 44-year-old Indian from Kerala who has become a ferryman of sorts for those who die here in the UAE.

Ashraf Palarakunnummal (born Ashraf Palara Kunnummal) also known as Ashraf Thamarassery hails from Thamarassery in Kerala, India. He is a social worker, a heavy goods driver and owner of a drain cleaning service who now lives in the UAE and helps people repatriate the bodies of loved ones who die in the UAE for free. As of January 7th 2021, it is a task he has been doing for 19 years.

Ashraf has done this service quietly by word-of-mouth for most of this time, but due to his local connections, when female actress Sreedevi died in Dubai in 2018, police handed the body over to Ashraf to organize repatriation. This was only one of among thousands of such cases he had helped in the repatriation process. Ashraf says he is now "fully engaged in helping the journey of the dead" and his drain cleaning business is now run by relatives.


Ashraf is known for his philanthropic activities in the expatriate community.

From indebted labourers to the moneyed elite, Ashraf has helped repatriate 4,700 bodies to 38 countries across the world. He views it as a noble responsibility in this desert sheikhdom that draws so many far from their homes, chief among them his compatriots.

"For them, you or me, it's all the same and everyone is equal. If someone dies in their room, they will take them to the hospital and then be checked at the police mortuary," said Thamarassery.

"It's the same process, whether Dubai or Sharjah or any emirate. ... Whether you're poor or rich, it doesn't matter."

Shelf upon the shelf in his home bears honours and awards. A framed picture hangs on the wall showing him meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

I do this "to earn blessings, but also when someone dies here, people don't know how to manage the repatriation procedures," he said. "That's why I do it." All the while, his phone never stopped ringing, some of them undoubtedly new calls for his help.  

വാട്സാപ്പ് ഇംഗ്ലീഷ്/ഹിന്ദി ക്ലാസ്



Courtesy: Sameer Changampally, Gyaanipedia

Reference: https://gyaanipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Ashraf_Thamarassery


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