ONMANORAMA@GROUND ZERO

Police block four hearses to Chooralmala church for ministers; relatives outraged

Chooralmala (Wayanad): After the quiet burial of four family members who died in the landslides at Wayanad's Meppadi panchayat, relatives and parish members of St Sebastian Church in Chooralmala erupted in anger against the Kerala Police for allegedly blocking the hearses and abusing them to make way for ministers touring the disaster zone.

"When four ambulances were coming to the church with the bodies, an inspector posted at Meenakshi (Complex, Puzhamudi) shouted and abused us, and ordered us to take the ambulances off the road because a few ministers were coming that way," said Daniel, a relative of Johnny Chittalapally (50), who died in the landslide. "We want to know for which minister did the police officer ask the ambulances to be taken off the road," he said. Instead of ensuring safe passage to the hearses, the police have time only for ministers, he said. "Do they even have humanity?" said Daniel.

St Sebastian Church with 35 families lost eight members from four families and a relative from another parish to the landslides that hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai on July 30. "We have got the bodies of six and three we are yet to find," said Jijith P V, a parishioner.

On Thursday, the church members buried Johnny Chittalapally (50), who worked with Harrisons Malayalam tea estate, his son Anugrah (14); Johnny's elder brother Francis Chittalapally's wife Sheeba (45) and their son Shisin (18) in the church graveyard. Johnny's elder son Abhinav (15) was buried on Wednesday. "His wife Rejina escaped with serious head injuries and underwent surgery yesterday," said Jose Chittalapally, Johnny's brother. All of them lived in the housing lane inside the tea estate at Mundakkai.

Johnny and their family moved to Sheeba's house downhill after the first landslide, fearing for their safety. But the second and third landslides that brought down huge boulders hit Sheeba's house, said Jose's son. Justin, a relative who was visiting Johnny, also died in the landslide. "But Johnny uncle's house escaped the landslide and is still intact," he said.

The other members of the church who are still missing and presumed dead are Joy Thekkilakattil, one of the three helpers of the parish, his wife Leelamma and Neethu Jojo, a front office manager at Dr Moopen's Medical College at Meppadi. All three were residents of Chooralmala's School Road which was razed by the landslide.

Why no safe passage for the bodies?
The Chittalapally family said the police inconvenienced and abused them on Wednesday, too, when search personnel found a few bodies and called them for identification. "We were carrying their photographs and going to Chooralmala to identify the bodies," said Joy Chittalapally.

But police allegedly blocked them at Kalpetta bypass around 10.30 am on Wednesday. "We explained to them where and why we were going. We showed the photographs of the victims. But the inspector abused my sister, her husband and their son saying some ministers were coming," said Joy's brother-in-law Daniel. The same day, the family had scheduled the funeral of Abhinav, whose body was first. "We lost two families. Police should not behave like that when we are going through such pain," he said.

On Thursday, while the family was bringing the bodies of Johnny, Anugrah, Sheeba and Shisin to the church in four hearses, the police allegedly stopped them near Meenakshi Complex. "I did not see any police officer trying to ensure their safe passage. But they had time to provide escort to the ministers. I am not saying this to score political points. I am speaking as a citizen," Daniel said.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his ministers, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress's Wayanad Lok Sabha candidate Priyanka Gandhi toured the affected areas.

In a meeting with people's representatives at the Collectorate on Thursday, the Chief Minister was told of the inconvenience the police department was causing to volunteers engaged in search operations and those supplying them with food and machinery.

Meenangadi panchayat president K E Vinayan said vehicles of volunteers were blocked far from the affected site and forced to walk with the jackhammers and concrete cutters. "The meeting with the chief minister was at 11 am. By afternoon, the police eased the restrictions," he said.