AN ONAM OF GRATITUDE AND HUMANITY

It was a time when people could have 

become selfish. It was a time when people could have made maximum utilisation of the situation. It was a time when people could have thrown the dirt of religion, gender, caste and politics among themselves. It was a time when people could have divided themselves as have's and have not's. It was a time when women and children could have faced great exploitation. But over the past few days we saw nothing of that sort when nature made its most devastating dance over our homeland, Kerala. The floods, worst in a century, have claimed lives of 231 people in the last 10 days besides rendering over 14 lakh people homeless but,we saw our state overpowering all the impossibilities and helping the crores of people survive. We saw hundreds of people,from children to old men coming forward to save our homeland, they could have ignored the suffering of people and enjoyed the festive season awaiting them. But each one of them refused to be part of celebrations and contributed every possible amount for the victims. They volunteered without being told by anyone and toiled day and night for their fellow beings.The Kerala Police force, Fire Force, Indian Army, Media ,KSEB and the Fishermen of Kerala worked all these days without sleep for our rescue.They do not know who they saved, or what their identity was, but they understood that it is their responsibility and they made sure to avoid the lose of a life even at their slightest negligence.We saw them taking care of each one of us and wrapping us in their hands like a mother.Thank you all for saving our lives risking your lives.

Kerala Police, The Fire Force and the Indian Army did every possible measures even taking great risks.They fought every obstacles and made the impossibles possible. I Salute and respect You. The Fishermen who came to rescue the people at their on will showed the courage to fight with the roaring angry waters with their only treasures, the fishing boat and determination. Thank you, for bothering about our lives than your livelihood.On August 15, as news channels in the rest of India celebrated Independence Day, Our news channels did not have time to pause. They were in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, with flood waters engulfing large portions of the state.Thank you for acting wisely and putting all your resources to maximum use to aid rescue and relief, and to bust rumours that could have caused major panic.We saw the young generation that includes you and me turning out the social media into control rooms which helped to rescue hundreds of lives that were stranded within the four walls of house surrounded by water. The youngsters who worked enthusiastically at the rescue mission, relief camps and collection points set several role models for the future generations. Thank you for assuring that the future is safe at our hands. Thank you all my brothers who came to rescue hundreds of lives and who left without saying a word or creating publicity. Some of them even joined the rescue operation regardless of their dear ones who are stranded at house. Thank you and I can picture you smiling at the news that Kerala has Overcome.

Another great fortification against this devastating disaster was our District Collecters who acted as great powerhouse of energy and who worked with the common man devoid of the ranks and positions they hold. Thank you all for understanding us and leading us.The Government of Kerala , especially honorable CM Pinarayi Vijayan made us believe that their is nothing impossible, provided united we stand. His words of fire and the immense courage that he spread out to Us at the time of crisis is admirable. Thank you Sir for enveloping God's Own Country with your courage disregarding your health condition. And I pay my gratitude to all the other Indian States and Foreign Nations who showered their love and care upon us in the form of money and resources.I pay homage to our brothers who sacrificed their lives for us. You will be always at our heart.Thank you all the known and unknown individuals and organisations who contributed huge amount and resources to the relief fund and I salute all those who did not mind to give their only savings. Humanity has not vanished away, and this disaster set the greatest lesson to the World that the mind and unity of Keralites cannot be destroyed. We saw the several toxic tongues open up and spit out their venom through different social media.If you don't know let me remind you, we Malayalis know to separate wheat from chaff and throw out the chaff to the right place😊.And to all those dim-witted,unempathatic and sick people who showed their true colours during these days, remember KARMA is a BOOMERANG.I must say that all those haters of Kerala and Malayalis will not find a single home to accommodate your venom of communal disharmony in Kerala. Because we had proven that united we stand and united we shall overcome because we are bound by love, humanity and empathy.❤️

Wherever we are, this Onam is really 

special for us. Each of us has gone through the flood trauma during these days which can be caused even by watching the visuals on media. But remember, You may had lost your dear ones, your house, or livelihood but there are hands to hold you when you fall. We don't celebrate this Onam but we have experienced the true spirit of Onam because the roaring waters tied us together regardless of religion, politics, caste, sex, or gender. And this proved the saying,"മാവേലി നാട് വാണീടും കാലം മാനുഷരെല്ലാരും ഒന്നു പോലെ". Yes, we are one and we shall rebuild our homeland, Kerala.❤️

Love,
Aparna Cyriac