Kokkuzhi: Anil Kumar felt a glimmer of hope when Prime Minister Narendra Modi clasped his hands together and promised unwavering support. However, those promises have since turned into hollow words, leaving him grappling with a life overshadowed by tragedy.
Anil Kumar suffered a spinal injury during the catastrophic landslide at Mundakkai and now resides in a rented house in Kokkuzhi, undergoing follow-up treatment. The landslide not only claimed the lives of his mother, Leelavati, and his young son, Sri Nihal but also destroyed his home and all his possessions. His wife, Jhanvi, is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of their only child.
The Prime Minister met Anil Kumar during a visit to the hospital shortly after the disaster. For ten minutes, Modi listened as Anil Kumar described the magnitude and impact of the calamity in Hindi. The interaction had raised hopes of meaningful aid and support.
"The cost of follow-up treatment and daily expenses is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. While the initial treatment until discharge was provided free of cost, no assistance has been offered since then. The state government is covering the rent for our house, but the daily allowance of Rs 300 has stopped. The hope that the Prime Minister's assurance will manifest into any action is gone now," Anil Kumar said.
Anil Kumar had been working in Croatia and had returned to his home in Mundakkai just a month before tragedy struck. Adding to his woes, his father, Devarajan, is suffering from injuries sustained during the landslide.