Poll day reunites scattered landslide survivors in Wayanad
CHOORALMALA: For the hundreds displaced by the devastating Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides, the local body election on Thursday was less about political mandate and more about a desperate, heartfelt reunion. As the community, scattered across districts and state borders, returned to cast their votes, the polling booths became tearful meeting points for old neighbours who had lost everything. To facilitate the voting process for the displaced community, the district administration arranged eight special KSRTC buses to ferry voters from their temporary settlements. An emotional scene unfolded at the Noorul Islam Madrasa Hall, one of the two polling stations established in the re-demarcated ward 11. The original polling centre, Mundakkai School, had been destroyed in the disaster, symbolising the communitys loss. Indira, a native of Mundakkai, travelled from Munderi near Kalpetta with her two minor daughters, Vaishna and Varnna, just to be there. Stepping into the Madrasa Hall, the first person she spotted was Jameela, her old neighbour. They fell into a warm conversation, catching up and exchanging pleasantries. Indira waited almost half an hour, greeting all her former neighbours, before stepping inside the booth to vote. Indira captured the sentiment of the day perfectly: We usually call each other to check on the government township list and the beneficiary names. Now that many names are on the list, the phone calls have come down. More than voting, we were eager to see our old neighbours. Adding a poignant note on the difficulty of maintaining community ties, she said: I dont think we will get another chance like this. People cant even attend weddings or, shamefully, funerals. But for voting, everyone had to gather. The logistical challenge was immense. Voters arrived from rented homes 33 kilometres across the border in Cherambadi, Tamil Nadu. Yet, the turnout remained strong, a testament to the communitys resolve. At the Madrasa Hall booth, which hosts 1,036 voters 90% of whom are landslide-affected, the turnout hit 77.73% by the close of polls. The delimited ward 11 is witnessing a high-stakes contest with K Mansoor of the Muslim League (UDF), K K Sahad of the CPM (LDF), and Madathil Vijayan of the BJP (NDA) fighting it out. Independent candidate Sidhique, a popular light and sound worker, is also in the fray.
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