MALAPPURAM: Rahul Gandhi asked, “Are you happy.” “Yes,” replied Karthika, 22, and Kavya, 20, receiving the key of their brand new house which Gandhi arranged for them at Theyyathumpadam near Edakkara. Gandhi had promised a new house to the sisters, who lost their mother and three younger brothers in the 2019 Kavalappara landslide, during his visit to Kerala after the landslide. He kept his promise and the key was handed over at a function held at the Malappuram district collectorate on Monday.
When the landslide claimed 59 lives and flattened the houses of 67 families on August 8, 2019, Karthika was staying in Palakkad pursuing a hotel management course and Kavya was staying in Wayanad to complete her ayurveda nursing course.The death of their mother and three younger brothers shocked the girls and they said they felt alone in the world like the kin of the other landslide victims.
Rahul Gandhi promised the girls that he would help them in all possible ways when he met them after the disaster. The Congress leader’s support was a relief for the girls. “When he met us after the landslide, he offered us a house. He was very kind to us. During his last visit to Wayanad, he handed over the title deed of the land he arranged for us. This time, he handed over the key of the newly built house. We are happy for going back to a normal life again,” Karthika told TNIE.
Congress workers raised `11 lakh to purchase the land and build a house for the sisters. Karthika recently joined a hotel management job. Kavya has completed her nursing course and she will also join a job soon. Karthika and Kavya are getting back to their normal life with the help of Rahul Gandhi and the governments. The state government provided `8 lakh ex gratia compensation to the sisters. They also got the Central government’s financial aid of `95,100.
The tale of the girls is one of the examples of how the state government, politicians and other organisations helped the people who faced one of the biggest disasters of the century. Most of the landslide survivors from Nilambur (including 67 families from Kavalappara) received the aid from the state government (including land and houses) and other organisations to bounce back to normal life.