76-year-old man accorded 'guard of honour' in MP for pledging to donate his body

A ‘guard of honour’ was accorded to a 76-year-old man who died of age-related ailments in Barwani district in Madhya Pradesh as part of the government’s resolve to honour the act of organ donation, officials said.

Praveen Joshi, who died on Wednesday night, had pledged to donate his body, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Surekha Jamre said on Thursday.

It was the second time a body donor was given a ‘guard of honour’ in the district, Jamre added.

During a ‘guard of honour’, uniformed police personnel or soldiers stand in a line with their weapons. On the command of the officer leading the guard, the squad members bring their weapons to the ‘salute’ position to express respect for the person concerned.

After the ‘guard of honour’, Joshi’s mortal remains were sent to a private hospital in Indore, officials said.

Joshi was originally a resident of Gujarat and had been living alone in Barwani for the past 30 years.

Social worker Ajit Jain said, “In the last days of his active life, Joshi used to apply henna on women’s hands using a special stencil.”   The state government had decided that individuals donating their bodies and organs after death would be given a ‘guard of honour’, usually reserved for distinguished persons and VVIPs.