Munnar: Shanmukhanathan, an employee of Idukki District Co-operative Bank, arrived at Pettimudi on Saturday with heavy grief — 34 members of his family, including his two sons, went missing after the landslide on Friday morning.
His elder brother A Ananthasivan is a former member of the Devikulam panchayat.
Shanmukhanathan's sons Dinesh and Nidheesh had come to Pettimudi with a cake bought in Munnar to celebrate the birthday of Ananthashivan's grandson. The two, both of them engineering students, had left home saying they would be back on Friday.
Ananthasivan (58), wife Veluthai (55); son Bharathiraja (35), wife Rekha (26) and their two children; Ananthasivan's brother Ganesan (48), wife Thankamma (40); another brother Myleswamy (45), his wife Rajeshwari ( 40) and their children Shivaranjith (13) and Sindooja (12); Mayilswamy's sister Palaniamma (51), husband Prabhu (54); their son Pratheesh (26), wife Kasturi (24) and their two children; Prabhu's daughter-in-law Muthulakshmi (30); Ananthasivan's cousin Raja Ravi Varma (35), his wife, two children and father-in-law, driver Shanmukhaiya (52); Ananthasivan wife's paternal uncle (60) and his wife Saraswati (52); Ananthasivan's wife's another paternal uncle Achuthan (56), wife Pavan Thai (47), son Manikandan (28), sister's husband Isaiah (55), wife Mani (54) and son Kapil Dev (26) were the ones trapped in the landslide
These families lived close by in the rows of housing for plantation workers.
Pettimudi’s Oomen Chandy
Former panchayat member Ananthasivan was called ‘Pettimudi’s Oommen Chandy’ by the locals. He was the Congress’ representative from Munnar’s Pettimudi ward.
Even before he became a panchayat member, he was considered the chieftain of Pettimudi residents.
He was a temporary employee of a co-operative bank in Munnar. Ananthasivan was at the forefront of the efforts to bring literacy to Idamalakkudi. He also tried to bring Manorama newspapers to the students of Idamalakkudi.
