THE little girl has a smile that would light up the darkest space. Stretching out her little hands, she greets us, three strangers, P K Sreemathi, C S Sujatha and myself as though she knows us. We are here in Meppady to meet affected families of the Wayanad tragedy. Even two months later, so deep is the trauma that none of the survivors we meet speak about the horror of that night on July 30th, or how they survived. The CPI(M) area committee secretary Haris is in regular contact with all the affected families who have been relocated to Meppady from the main affected areas of Chooramala, Mundakkai, Punjirimattam and others. He and other local comrades relate what happened, the heavy rains, the desperate urgent calls at 2 am, the devastating landslide, the search for survivors in the mud and sludge, the stones and rocks.  While other headlines occupy public attention, here in Wayanad the state government and Party are still working 24/7 to help the affected families. Sreemathi and Sujatha have been to the relief camps earlier, bringing material collected by AIDWA units. I came with both of them this time to spend time with the affected families and to understand the efforts being made to rebuild lives – by the survivors, by the state government and by tireless volunteers. In tragedy and despair, for me it was an inspiring experience to see how communist humaneness and commitment, away from TV cameras and publicity make a difference to people’s lives. I learnt through direct interaction with the families how the LDF government’s comprehensive approach has provided a framework of humane succour.

The child’s name is Naisa, just three years old. “She was an unexpected gift for our family,” the child’s mother Jaseela tells us, “she was born many years after her brothers.”  She breaks down after mentioning her sons, unable to speak. A comrade continues: The family lived in their own home in Chooramala, one of the centres of the landslide. Her husband and her two sons, one 16 years old, the other 12, and her husband’s parents – six members of her family were killed. Hugging her little daughter, Jaseela she says – “I have her now, only her. They are living with Jaseela’s mother Jamila in a rented house. I was puzzled as to why Naisa looked familiar. Sreemathi tells me it was this little girl who had gone so willingly to the prime minister on his visit to a Wayanad relief camp, filmed in a video, playing with his spectacles – a viral video to show how much the prime minister cares. Did he ever remember this little girl after the video lights were switched off? Or Wayanad? Does he even comprehend the extent of emotional stress?

Among those we met were survivors of 12 families who between them had lost 70 members. The courage and dignity of mothers who have lost their children was striking as much as it was heartbreaking. Sayana a young woman in her thirties looks to her husband Anish to spell out the names of their three beloved children, their sons Nived, Dyan and Ishan. She says “they were young, so young the eldest 9, the second 7 and the youngest, my Ishan, just 4 – but they died, all of them. How we survived we do not know. “She herself bears the marks of the injuries she suffered on her skull and forehead requiring a surgical procedure which is still healing. Her husband Anish a driver by profession apart from his children, lost his parents and his uncle and aunt. They lost seven members of their family. Today husband and wife support each other to face each day without their loved ones.

There is a little boy sitting quite near Sayana, looking at her intently with his beautiful big eyes.  When I reach out to him he gives me a dazzling smile. He is Avigath, a nine year old boy. His face and head bear marks of serious injuries. His forehead with his skin peeled off is yet to heal. His left arm is in a plaster. He was found in the mud of the landslide, barely alive. Rushed to a hospital in Kozhikode, the dedicated doctors saved his life. His photograph in which he is barely recognizable was circulated to locate his family. Sayana who had been rescued was told of such a child being found. She had hoped that this child was one of hers. But when she saw the photograph she suggested who the child could be. They lived in the same village, the children had played together. Avigath’s mother Ramiya was found far away. Her lungs were badly affected by the mud, her shoulder and rib cage fractured, her leg broken. She too was helped by the prompt medical intervention and she survived her acute injuries. She was reunited with her son. Her husband Mahesh, his parents and another relative died – in a family of six, just two of them survived.

We met Regina, employed in the municipality. She lost her husband and both her children. Of her eight-member family who lived together in Chooramala only Regina and a nephew survived. Regina was among the seriously injured. She required surgery and one can see the healing wounds on her forehead. She lives with her sister. She wants to go back to work but says she finds it difficult to converse with anyone. She needs time she says. She says she knows though that time does not heal the trauma of losing her family.

And what of the children who survived losing their entire families? We meet Sajid Yusuf, a 15-year old adolescent, thin and frail. He is a Class 10 student and was living in Chulliyod village. He lost his entire family, his parents, his two sisters and his grandparents. The boy speaks softly.                “I am living with my aunt Saniya, my father’s sister. She too is bereaved as she lost her two brothers, my father and his younger brother. I have got admission in a school, but I find it difficult to study. “He looks away and then says “I miss my sisters, my mother and father, I think of them but I try not to cry.” Sneha is a 22-year old, who listens carefully to what he says. She knows the sorrow he feels. Sneha a student of chartered accountancy was away from her village in Chooramala that week studying for her exams. Her family of nine were living close to each other in a cluster of three houses. There were no survivors. Nine members of her family died including her parents and two brothers. She has an older sister working as a nurse in the UK. This courageous young woman is at present living with her aunt trying to complete her exams. Then there is a little girl of six, Sidarate Munta, in the lap of her aunt. The child lost her parents, grandparents, of her seven-member family only she survived. Jishnu is 25 years old. He works in Saudi Arabia sending money home to his family who lived in Punjirarattam, in Mundakai. This was the village at the top of the hill where the landslide started. He lost nine members of his family, including his parents and siblings. Only his younger brother, who suffered a severe spinal injury, survived. Another young man, Pranav, working in a resort was away that night from his home in Mundakai. He is the only survivor of an eight-member family.

These survivors are among many other families we met –all of them dealing with the grief and trauma of losing their loved ones and everything in their lives, faced with the task of rebuilding their lives. It is in this context that the government and people of Kerala have shown why Kerala is such a model for the rest of the country. As is known and well documented in the immediate aftermath of July 30, on the next day itself the official agencies and volunteers went into action. There was unity across political parties to help and rescue families. There were more than 9000 affected people shifted to relief camps. Of them many whose houses were not destroyed could go home after a few weeks. The state government appointed a team of four cabinet ministers who lived in Wayanad for a month, monitoring and helping to coordinate and assess the requirements. It was this on-the-spot intervention of ministers which enabled the multiple areas of government intervention and assessment of future needs. It is significant that after the experience of the floods in 2018, the LDF government had set up disaster management teams in all panchayats – a combination of official agencies and civil volunteers along with local body elected representatives. These teams have their own network through dedicated whatsapp groups for communications for all natural disaster problems. In Wayanad too, these teams were the first on the site. In the relief camps, families were helped for their immediate needs by food supplied by official agencies and other material. There were generous donations from political parties and other organisations. However, the families were wanting their own space. It is here that the decisions of the government assessing the needs of survivors after close interactions with them is highly appreciable. Kudumbashree groups also played an important role in such assessments. Under the guidance of the district administration headed by a woman collector who by all accounts played an important role in the disaster management multiple tasks, 250 Kudumbashree women workers surveyed 1009 families collecting detailed information about their current situation and needs. This data is being used for micro planning for each affected family.

Thus the government decided that all survivors should have an opportunity to live in their own spaces through the provision of funds for rented accommodation.  This is a most sensible approach of the LDF government in contrast to other places where people have to languish in relief camps for months together. Each family is provided a subsidy of Rs 6000 every month as rent. A large number of survivors have been enabled to move out of the relief camps into such rented places. Those families who are living with relatives can also avail of the rent subsidy. We found that people of the different localities in Wayanad close to the affected area have been generous and kind in helping provide homes to the survivors. Most of the survivors we met were of families of plantation workers, agricultural workers, daily waged workers or of drivers, welders, carpenters, working class families. They belonged to different religious communities, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and a few tribals. They were provided with “back to home” kits for essential household items by the government. We were told by the survivors that the health department has deputed trained counsellors to visit them in their homes regularly. This too is quite unique. Usually victims of trauma are expected to go to hospitals for sessions but here the government is arranging home visits. Additionally, Kudumbashree members also regularly visit homes to help families.

Two adult members of each affected family can get Rs 300 per day as subsidy, which works out to Rs 18,000 a month. This is a very important part of the government relief measures as at present most members are still unable to work. They told us that it is only because of this government approach that they are able to survive. Those with injuries got additional financial assistance apart from free medical treatment. The government lower primary school in Mundakai and the Higher secondary government school in Vellarmala were destroyed. This affected around 600 students. Each child has been provided with uniforms and books. They have been relocated to schools and three government buses have been dedicated for their transport.

There are still scores of residents who are “missing.” This means that bodies have not been found with added emotional stress for the surviving family members. One of the most difficult situations has been the identification of the bodies to establish the family connections through the DNA reports. So violent was the force of the landslides that in many cases bodies were dismembered. We met survivors who are waiting for DNA reports and identification of the bodies or body parts of their loved ones. Here also the government and especially the health and forensic departments are working round the clock to match DNA samples. Such identification of bodies along with the emotional stress for families also has a legal aspect as the compensation of Rs 8 lakhs for each deceased according to the rules of the disaster management authorities can only be given after the identification is confirmed. There are still families who have not received the compensation as the DNA process is on. Minors who lost both parents will get Rs 10 lakhs.

These are some of the immediate measures being taken by the state government. The long-term plan is to build two townships where houses will be provided to each family who have lost their home. Those who are in landslide prone areas will be shifted to safer zones in these townships and for this land has already been identified. Infrastructure facilities, schools and hospitals are also planned. While the state government is working hard for the rehabilitation of the affected areas in Wayanad, the central government has betrayed the people of Wayanad.

The day before we reached Wayanad we were told that the central government had announced the centre’s contribution to the disaster relief fund of various states. Maharashtra received Rs 1,492 crores; Andhra Pradesh Rs 1,036 crores; Assam 716 crores; Bihar 655.60 crores; Gujarat 600 crores and to Kerala just Rs 145.60 crores. It can only be a monster government which adopts such a sectarian approach playing politics with relief. The state government had demanded Rs 2000 crores. This is a huge issue for Kerala and for each individual family. The UDF led by the Congress party has 19 MPs from Kerala but there has been a deafening silence from them on this issue in parliament.

We had the opportunity to meet Party cadre who had been involved in the rescue and relief efforts from the night of the disaster and who continue their work with the affected families. In the affected areas, the Chooramala local committee secretary is Baiju. The branch secretary there is Abbas. In Mundakai, the branch secretary is Rashid. Party conferences are being held now throughout India. The importance of an active branch and branch secretary was exemplified in what we heard of the tremendous work done by these comrades. They were helped by Francis, the DYFI leader and Party area committee member who played a leading role risking his own life to save others. The DYFI local units also did a tremendous job. The DYFI has a ‘youth brigade’ who have basic training in help and rescue, first aid and so on to help in times of distress. They also have the required material in their offices – rope, torches, even portable motor cutting machines which all came into use that terrible night. We listened to their stories told in such a matter-of-fact way and with no sense of self pride – how they coordinated with each other, the number of families they could save, the hard struggle to find bodies, the guidance of the government. We understood the great risk they put themselves in – they are heroes we can be proud of along with all the numerous volunteers who worked alongside them. I thought it was such an appropriate reflection of the community based united work that symbolizes Kerala – young men with names that represent different religious communities – all working together with the united will inspired by the Party and the DYFI to serve the people. The work being done in Wayanad by the Party at all levels is an inspiration for the entire Party.