13YO Performs 3 Hours Of Bharatnatyam For Kerala Landslide Relief Fund

Kerala's Wayanad has been facing catastrophic landslides that have caused over 229 fatalities and massive destruction since July 30. Thousands of people have been displaced and about 130 people are missing, while rescue forces have worked tirelessly to move people to safety. However, their task has been challenged by massive boulders blocking access routes, hindering their efforts to reach the needy. Triggered by incessant rains over the last few weeks, the natural calamity has turned the picturesque district into a scene of devastation. 

Chief Minister's Relief Efforts

A 13-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu performed Bharatnatyam for three hours straight to raise funds for the people affected by the landslides. Harini Sri reportedly donated ₹15,000, including her savings to the Chief Minister Disaster Relief Fund, the Kerala government announced on social media on August 8.

In a video posted on X (Twitter), the girl can be seen handing the donation over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and showing him a video of the performance on her phone. She also received blessings from him. Sri's gesture for the people in need and dedication to her craft have garnered much praise on social media.

A 13-year-old girl child from Tamil Nadu, Harini Sri, performed #Bharatanatyam for 3 hrs straight to raise funds for #Wayanadlandslide to #standwithwayanad. She donated ₹15,000, including her savings, to #CMDRF. pic.twitter.com/v8FmbkZ1ie

— Kerala Government | കേരള സർക്കാർ (@iprdkerala) August 8, 2024

Amid the devastating calamity, CM Vijayan stated on his official social media that he is collaborating with the Central government to undertake speedy rescue efforts. He has also reportedly evaluated the ongoing relief operations in affected areas like Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Attamala, and Noolpuzha.

Held a high-level meeting to expedite the rescue operations at the landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. It was convened at the @KeralaSDMA office & included discussions on enhancing operations through collaboration with various central agencies & forces. pic.twitter.com/oSqyWWlVnd

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) July 30, 2024

Tragedy Strikes

In Mundakkai, a school teacher expressed grief at losing some of her students to the landslides. Shalini Thankachan, who works at the Government Lower Primary School, recalled in an interview with The New Indian Express how she spent several happy moments with her students and shared them online.

One of the Class IV teacher's videos went viral, in which she gave a bicycle ride to three of her students. The video accurately captured their adorable teacher-student bond. Inconsolable, Thankachan told the outlet that the landslide had claimed the girls' lives. "We were like family," she cried.

Another school teacher from Vellarmala, whose cheerful video with his students had gone viral, shared Thankachan's sentiments as he too lost some students to the disaster. "Everything is now turned into mere memories for me," Unnikrishnan, from the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School told the outlet. 

Several Mundakkai alert residents fled to safer regions amid the merciless downpour a few days before the landslides. One such woman was Shakkira, who shared with the Times of India how her family narrowly missed the catastrophe after she urged them to move to her maternal home for a few days.

Shakkira expressed that intuition led her to insist her husband Mohammed Alis take them to Meppadi. While her family initially said that her fear was 'unreasonable', they finally agreed. Hours later, the landslides started causing havoc in their locality in Mundakkai and swept away some of their relatives.

Her husband Alis said, "While leaving, we asked some in the area to move to a safe location. But they hesitated and stayed back. My father's brother and his family are missing." He added, "Only our house is standing there now, filled with debris and muddy water. The rest of the houses got washed away."