Wayanad landslide victim finally buried in single grave
KALPETTA: After eight long months of emotional turmoil and repeated appeals, Anil Kumar of Chooralmala, Wayanad, finally received the closure he had been yearning for. His mother, Rajamma, who was killed in the devastating 2024 landslide, has now been laid to rest in a single grave, honouring her final wish and her son's relentless plea for dignity in death.
The district administration, led by Wayanad District Collector Meghashree D R, issued a special order on Thursday permitting the exhumation and reburial of Rajamma's remains. The reburial was carried out on Friday under the supervision of the Meppadi village officer and the Tahasildar.
Rajamma's body was recovered in two disjointed parts following the massive landslide that swept through the region. The parts were unearthed nearly 10 days apart and, due to the circumstances of recovery and identification, were buried in separate graves-N-34 and N-213-at the Puthumala mass grave site.
For months, Anil Kumar, who lost more than 10 members of his extended family in the landslide visited the district collectorate tirelessly, petitioning officials to allow him to reunite his mother's mortal remains. 'She always feared dying in a landslide and used to tell me, 'If something happens to me, make sure I'm buried in one place.' That was her only request,' Anil said.
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2 days ago
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Wayanad landslide victim finally buried in single grave
KALPETTA: After eight long months of emotional turmoil and repeated appeals, Anil Kumar of Chooralmala, Wayanad, finally received the closure he had been yearning for. His mother, Rajamma, who was killed in the devastating 2024 landslide, has now been laid to rest in a single grave, honouring her final wish and her son's relentless plea for dignity in death. The district administration, led by Wayanad District Collector Meghashree D R, issued a special order on Thursday permitting the exhumation and reburial of Rajamma's remains. The reburial was carried out on Friday under the supervision of the Meppadi village officer and the Tahasildar. Rajamma's body was recovered in two disjointed parts following the massive landslide that swept through the region. The parts were unearthed nearly 10 days apart and, due to the circumstances of recovery and identification, were buried in separate graves-N-34 and N-213-at the Puthumala mass grave site. For months, Anil Kumar, who lost more than 10 members of his extended family in the landslide visited the district collectorate tirelessly, petitioning officials to allow him to reunite his mother's mortal remains. 'She always feared dying in a landslide and used to tell me, 'If something happens to me, make sure I'm buried in one place.' That was her only request,' Anil said.
Time of India
5 days ago
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Wayanad landslide: Son's plea to collector for mother's reburial ignored
Kozhikode: Every time Chooralmala-native Anil visits the mass graveyard at Puthumala to offer tributes to his mother, one of the victims of the devastating Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide, he prays at two tombs as her mortal remains were buried in two separate graves. For the past eight months, Anil, of Mullath Theruvu house, has been pleading with authorities to shift the remains of his mother Rajamma, 63, to a single grave. Despite repeated visits to the district collectorate, his requests remain unaddressed. Anil said that Rajamma's remains were recovered from Nilambur four days after the landslide. As the body could not be identified, the remains were interred at the Puthumala mass grave meant for landslide victims. The DNA examination of the samples later revealed that the body parts were buried separately in two graves. You Can Also Check: Kozhikode AQI | Weather in Kozhikode | Bank Holidays in Kozhikode | Public Holidays in Kozhikode "The remains of my mother now lie in the graves marked N-34 and N-213. I have been visiting the district collectorate at least 2-3 times every month with the request to shift the remains to one grave. As her son, I feel it's my responsibility to ensure that she rests in peace, in one place. Despite assurances, nothing has moved. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Compara los productos más populares con nuestros reviews Mandarina - Tráfico Haz clic aquí Undo The thought of my mother's body laying in separate graves is very disturbing," said Anil. He said officials have been citing preoccupation with post-disaster rehabilitation, including ongoing work of the proposed township, adding that two months have passed after giving that excuse. "I urged them to complete the reburial before monsoon began, as it would be difficult once rain sets in. But now, we are well into the monsoon months, and still nothing has been done," he said. Though authorities have been promising that it would be done at the earliest, the issue remains unaddressed so far, he added. Meanwhile, district collectorate officials said steps were underway to issue necessary orders to shift the remains to a single grave. Kalpetta MLA T Siddique said the district collector had assured him that the process to enable shifting the remains would start on Tuesday itself. Besides Rajamma, the Wayanad landslide tragedy had claimed the lives of three children of Anil's brother Aneesh and the son of his sister Parvathy.
