She Wanted To Be A Doctor And Help The Family But Now They Are All Gone In Munnar Landslide
Tea plantation workers are among one of those for whom life is a daily struggle. Despite working six days a week in the rain, cold and sun throughout the year, they hardly make anything as savings out of it.
The vast majority of them live in what is called 'layam' in Malayalam, which are small 1-2 room houses provided by the tea estates. Most of them were born there, live their entire life there and die there because they cannot afford to even think of buying a house from what they earn.
But that did not stop a family of tea plantation workers at the Pettimudi Estate in Munnar, Kerala dreaming of a better life by educating their children.
So, despite knowing very well that they cannot afford it, Yashaya and Rosline wanted to see her daughter become a doctor.
As the family could not find a way to fund her studies, the daughter Sasikala took up another course, in the medical field, which was less expensive and became a nurse.
Sasikala who is now married and working in the Tirunelveli Medical College in Tamil Nadu had promised her parents and brother that she will be with them for everything they need.
But now she has been left alone, grieving, as her parents and brother were among the 49 killed in the landslide that hit a layam of the Tata group-owned Pettimudi estate in Munnar on Friday.
Sasikala who rushed to Munnar hearing about the accident was left shocked to see the place where she once called home flattened by rocks and mud.
As the rescuers scrambled through the debris on Saturday, they pulled out the bodies of the trio, one by one.
Sasikala who was hoping for a miracle collapsed on the ground seeing her loved ones.
Since the news of the landslide that hit the remote mountainous region on the early hours of Friday reached the outside world 49 bodies have been recovered and 12 people have been rescues.?
NDRF, SDRF, Fire Force, Kerala Police and other volunteers are continuing their search for those still missing from the settlement which had 82 people when the calamity struck.
Though they do not expect to find any more survivors the search for the bodies of the missing is still on at the remote terrain amid the continuing downpour which is making the operation difficult.
Heavy rains are predicted for the Idukki district for at least one more day.
