THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s been a year since the state lost Jinesh Jerome, the 24-year-old braveheart fisherman from Poonthura who saved the lives of over 60 people during the devastating Kerala flood of 2018. A year after his death at Kanyakumari, Jinesh’s family is in a bad state. Though offers of help came pouring in, nothing has happened.
The promises from MPs and MLAs too remain unfulfilled. The the four-member family now lives in a rented house at Poonthura paying Rs 8, 000 per month.“We gave an advance payment of Rs 10 lakh from the money we got from well-wishers across the state just after Jinesh’s death to buy 3.25 cents of land at Poonthura. But, that wouldn’t suffice as it costs Rs 6 lakh per cent here,” says Selvi Jerome, his mother.
Two of Selvi’s sons just finished college and are searching for a job. “My husband couldn’t go to sea due to continuous warnings. Even if he goes, the catch is scarce,” she adds.
According to Selvi, Jinesh left his studies midway to provide for his brothers’ education. “He had got through Army selection trials and was preparing to enrol when he died,” says Selvi. Jinesh was a cricketer and a dancer too.
According to Johny Chekkitta, a member of Coastal Warriors which went on a mission to save lives during the flood, Jinesh was the only experienced fisherman in the group. “He saved a lot of lives. He jumped into the murky water,” said Johny. “On the day of his funeral, over 200 youth had gathered in the house,” he added.