A panchayat's attempt to provide a house for a blind singer under Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP) has inadvertently led to an emotional reunion for a family.  Seven of the 64,006 families identified across Kerala for the project hailed from Kumaramangalam panchayat in Thodupuzha, Idukki. Six of them were rehabilitated smoothly. 

The officials, however, hit a roadblock trying to build a home for a blind couple: 51-year-old Shy Varghese, his wife Sunitha (44), and their daughter Teena, a first-year BBA student in Palakkad. Shy had performed with local music troupes before turning to street singing in 2022. Every morning, an autorickshaw driver drops him at different spots around Thodupuzha where he performs. 

The family had been living in their ancestral home at Thandel, but the property legally belonged to Shy's late parents, and the legal heir is Jinu, his elder brother Sabu’s (name changed) son. Sabu had gone missing since 1998, and his wife passed away years later. With no formal partition of the ancestral land, Shy’s name could not be added to any property records.

What began as an administrative exercise then became a search for a man who had been missing for 27 years. “It was not just a government project anymore; it became deeply personal for us,” says panchayat president Gracy Thomas. 

For the partition and to register Shy's portion of the land in his name, the panchayat needed consent from all the siblings. Two of his sisters had died, and another, Selin, agreed to the partition. The panchayat couldn't make a headway. Without proof of Sabu's death or whereabouts, the registrar refused to proceed.

The panchayat authorities didn't give up. They combed the old records at Kalloorkkad and Thodupuzha police stations, checking every missing person file since 1998. They alerted police across Kerala and reached out through local networks — but there were no leads. Sabu’s children, Jinu and Jinto, were supportive throughout, even though they had never seen their father since childhood. The search wasn’t for closure, but for hope: to help a man finally own a piece of land and a home.

Then came a breakthrough. Through Facebook, Jinu found one of Sabu’s old friends, who revealed that Sabu was working in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu. Jinu and relatives travelled there, located him, and the panchayat authorities, through phone, convinced him to return — at least briefly — to sign the partition documents.

“It was a heart-touching reunion. Sabu didn’t want to come back, but when his sons told him, ‘We just want to have a home of our own,’ he agreed. He signed the papers and returned to Tamil Nadu the same day," says Gracy.

With the land partition completed, Shy received four cents of land — enough to build a house. The panchayat had already included his name in the LIFE Mission housing scheme and constructed a home next to his ancestral one. “We’ve also arranged equipment under the Kudumbashree’s Ujjeevanam scheme — a cordless mic, Bluetooth speaker, and other items — so he can continue earning through singing,” says Mohammed K M, the panchayat Assistant Secretary and nodal officer, EPEP. “Both husband and wife are blind, so we’re making additional arrangements in the new house to help them manage independently.”

Electricity and water connections are being arranged. “We still need to make provisions for cooking using wood and washing,” says Shy. “We don’t know how to use gas, so the panchayat is helping us set up a firewood stove.”

The panchayat’s determination has paid off — all seven families identified under the EPEP were supported. One was moved to a care home, four received new houses, one family got land and a house, and another’s home was repaired. Regular food supply and social welfare benefits were also ensured.

“The process wasn’t easy,” says Mohammed. “We had to identify each family’s biggest challenge and prepare micro-plans accordingly. Every step followed clear directions from the state government. Panchayat representatives worked tirelessly, arranging additional funds whenever needed. We will continue monitoring and supporting these families in future also," he says.

Though grateful, Shy’s concerns remain. “My daughter is studying in a college in Palakkad, and I don’t know how long I can keep singing on the streets,” he says quietly. “Her studies must continue — that’s all I hope for now.”