The incessant downpour that has devastated Kerala has made more than 2 Lakh people homeless and taken more than 300 lives. While Keralites are having difficulty in surviving and pulling through this natural calamity, several business honchos and film stars are proactively coming with financial aid for the affected people. While these kind gestures deserve sincere appreciation, some extraordinary poignant stories and news of human kindness surfacing and promulgating on the internet and print media are moving us. Here we have jotted down some of the heart-rending stories as we believe such unsung sagas of these Good Samaritans should be disseminated more and more and in future, it serves as a source of inspiration for the coming generations.
Pregnant Women with Broken Amniotic Sac Airlifted with Immediate Care
Sajita Jabeel was seeking urgent care amidst the unfolding tragedy of Kerala as her water bag ruptured suddenly. Navy was summoned in the hamlet of Aluva in Ernakulam District after she went into labour and without making any delay Captain P Rajkumar & his team started for the rescue. A video is being circulated on the internet where you can see how pushing his life into risk the official rescued the lady. The lady has given birth to a healthy baby merely an hour later the rescue operation. The eagerness to help and quick action of the army personnel have paved the way for a new life to this earth.
A journalist in Kerala has cancelled his daughter’s engagement function
In yet another act of generosity, a journalist in Kerala has cancelled his daughter’s engagement function and along with the family of his future son-in-law, decided to donate the money kept aside for the ceremony, to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief FundTaking cognisance of the devastating situation in his home state, PM Manoj, the resident editor of Deshabhimani, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), held discussions with his daughter’s soon-to-be husband’s family, and both sides agreed to cancel the engagement which was scheduled to take place on Sunday in flood-hit Kannur.
Women Denied to Leave Home without Dogs
Whenever a major upheaval hits us we run for a safer place along with our beloved ones as their existence complete us, but in a rare incident a Kerala woman named Sunitha refused to leave flood-stricken area without securing the life of 25 abandoned pets and stray dogs and even sent back the rescue team as they weren’t able to help the poor animals. She is from Thrissur district that has experienced the cruellest face of the flood. Everyone heaves a sigh of relief when an animal welfare group came into the spot for their rescue. However, many others were seen carrying their pets along with them leaving behind valuables.
Elderly Persons are Carried on Shoulders
Various images have turned up in the digital platforms where elderly people are carried on chairs and stretchers by others. Instead of dealing with the constant fear of electrocution by live wires, venomous creatures and ceaselessly rising water these persons have never held their helping hand. Leaving behind personal comfort these distressed folks have come out to help people who are more vulnerable in the catastrophic hand of such calamitous events.
Merchant Donates His Entire Stocks for the Victims
A blanket merchant from Madhya Pradesh, Mr Vishnu Kachhawa donated his entire stock for the relief program in Kerala. He bought 50 blankets with the dream and aspiration of a better life, these were his last resort to make a living. However observing the plight of his fellow countrymen, he sacrificed those resources for the welfare of Kerala. Even the officials present in Iritty taluk office of Kannur’s were left dumbstruck with his decision. They all tried to dissuade them from taking such action but he was unyielding to such advice. Will you remember his sacrifice? Vishnu the blanket Merchant from MP donates his entire stock, 50 blankets for Kerala Flood Relief Program
Starting from online retailers like Amazon, online wallet companies like PayTm, satellite and cable television channels have taken commendable steps to reinstate God’s own country. Generous People with strong personal values are donating for this noble cause and as per the latest report Paytm has collected Rs.30 Crore from their 12 lakh uses for the relief fund.
We all own some special set of skills, some heals scars, some heal minds, some of us destroy to make a new one, and some of us destroy to instigate the chaos, our peroration can make and break a people, a community. At the end of the day, it depends on us how we can contribute to make a better world, fill it with love and merriment.
Kakoli Sen
Editors Note.. As the first leg of the flood relief efforts in Kerala come to an end, and the focus shifts from rescue to disease control and rehabilitation, it is time to ask whether Kerala will learn any lessons from this catastrophe. We have to go back to the basic lessons regarding the Western Ghats as explained by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and his team. Gadgil said the Western Ghats is Kerala’s water tower. The protection of the Western Ghats is critical for the survival of our spices, exports, water, power, tourism, agriculture and employment. There are ecologically sensitive areas, whose destruction will be disastrous.
That has happened now at Kodagu/ Madikeri too. A major cause of fatalities during the floods was landslides caused because of illegal mining and construction on hilly areas…Shishir Mandya
