PALAKKAD: The family of Thirthala native 24-year-old Vishnu Unni, the braveheart sailor who instantly jumped into the sea to rescue a woman and seven month child from the Venduthuruthy bridge in Kochi is still to get any concrete assurance from the Central and State Government of a job for a member of their household.
A 34-year-old woman, Sangeetha of Kunnumpuram near Edappally, jumped off the bridge on October 3, 2014, with the infant, Krishnapriya, in her arms. Vishnu, a sailor of INS Sharda who was a native of Thirthala near Palakkad was passing by with his friend on a motorcycle. Vishnu handed over his helmet to his friend and immediately jumped to rescue the woman.
Though he succeeded in rescuing the woman, the child had died by the time it reached the hospital. The woman and child were taken and put in a boat of the Cochin Shipyard. However, before Vishnu could latch on to it he was washed away.
Prabhayani, Vishnu’s mother said that the Kerala State Human Rights Commission had directed the Government to provide Rs 10 lakh. Subsequently, the Government had given the family Rs 5 lakh.
However, KPCC president V M Sudheeran, who visited the house, gave Rs 2 lakh for the educational expense of Vishnu’s sister, Vinaya Unni, who is doing her preliminary course for the CA examinations. The Navy had also given Vishnu’s insurance benefits.
Prabhayani said that they were moving the papers with the Navy for the pension, provident fund and other benefits. It is only after the pension is allotted that they can apply for a job for a member in the family to the Navy.
She said that the Sainik Board had said that it was for the family to decide whether to accept a job with the Navy or the State Government. Vishnu hailed from a poor family. His father, Unnikrishnan was an ex-serviceman and was sickly. Vishnu was the bread winner of the family. His mother Prabhayani was a housewife. Unnikrishnan’s parents Ayyappan, 80, and Kocha, 77, were also in the same house.