By Chandni Shah
Nothing is cheerful about the Kerala floods. Or nothing should be. But Malayalis are in the midst of sorrow killing it with their memes, their joyriding Jojis, their scrawled thanks on terraces.
We wanted to give shout-outs to women in Kerala who inspire, cheer, lead and create glorious moments of zen in the middle of the deluge. Here are some of them.
1.T V Anupama: T V Anupama is the District Collector at Thrissur, who in the midst of everything, took down the entire Bar Association and made them comply. In the midst of the floods, there was a lack of space to keep relief materials. When she asked the Bar Association to open their office in Thrissur to use for the storage of relief materials, they did not comply. So, what did she do? Force them using the law. Kudos ma’am. In times of distress, people are like her are the sort of people that we need to make sure that people don’t get away with anything.
2. DHANYA RAJENDRAN: The second is The NEWSMinute Editor-In-chief Ms Dhanya Rajendran. Now I don’t know how many of you are following her on Facebook and Twitter, but she has been doing an amazing job in collecting relief materials, locating people and spreading the information about people who haven’t been found and reporting from the scene in the Kerala Floods. From Facebook lives from relief camps to conveying the needs of the camps and slamming down trolls in the meanwhile, she has done everything. This is one journalist who truly deserves the cape of Wonder woman.
3. Vasuki: Speaking of awesome women, this video of District Collector Vasuki, talking and thanking volunteers at the Cottonhill relief centre in Trivandrum is the best. She starts off with telling the volunteers that they have shown the world what the Malayalis can do and thanks them for helping in the floods, adding that it has saved the government a lot of money in labour. Now that’s something that’s not done very often. This woman, who has taken the time out of her busy schedule to thank everyone. Thanks to you too Chechi, for doing everything that you have over the past few days.
4. Asiya Beevi: If you are feeling mopey, check out this video of Asiya Beevi dancing with the kids in a relief camp in Ernakulam to Jimikki Kammal. Ms Asiya, who is from Cherannellor gives us a look into the lives of the people at relief camps and we’re glad to be seeing that in the midst of all the devastation, there are still kids and adults alike who are taking a moment to be themselves and have a little bit of fun.
https://twitter.com/vivekpoduval/status/1031732254098186240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
There have been countless women working around the clock in the relief camps and collection centres. They might not have been out there saving people and rescuing them, but they have been in the camp making sure that there is enough food for those who need it, making sure that the relief materials are given to everyone and feeding the hungry and clothing those who need them. From women in Mattancherry who’ve been making Chappatis and Puris in order to feed those in relief camps while fasting themselves, to those who have been using their vehicles and driving around town collecting everything that they possibly could, these are women who have done the work that was needed to people to continue surviving. They deserve the white hat, the crown and the cape. I tip my hat to them and thank them for being there.
Sure, there have been many superheroes. The Kerala Floods gave rise to people who would not have been where they were without the women who contributed. These women are our Heroes of happiness and any thanks that I can give them would not be enough.