Pang chooses smiles over pain as school reopens after Valparai tragedy

Malappuram: Pang village wore a smile on Monday. Colourful balloons fluttered in the breeze, freshly painted walls welcomed children back to classrooms, and cheerful songs marked the reopening of the Government UP School. But behind the celebrations lay a quiet, shared determination — to help children move forward from a tragedy that had shaken the school and the local community just weeks ago.

For teachers, parents and villagers, the day was as much about healing as it was about reopening. The memories of the Valparai tempo traveller accident, in which five of the school's six teachers and another staff member lost their lives, remain painfully fresh. Yet on this day, adults consciously chose not to let grief dominate the campus. Conversations were carefully measured, references to the tragedy were avoided in front of students, and every effort was made to ensure that children experienced the joy and excitement traditionally associated with the first day of school.

The school itself reflected that effort. Bright murals painted by a collective of artists transformed the campus, a new play area attracted excited children, while tiled courtyards and decorated classrooms created a festive atmosphere. New teachers greeted students with warm smiles. For a few hours, Pang seemed united in a single mission — to replace sorrow with hope, at least in the eyes of its children.

It was on April 17 that a tempo traveller carrying teachers, school staff and their family members on a leisure trip to Valparai plunged into a gorge along the Valparai ghat road. The accident claimed the lives of Headmistress Ajitha, teachers Ramla, Suhara, Asha and Abdul Majeed; Majeed's wife Rukiya; school cooking staff Sajitha; Suhara's son Hisham; and Shakkeena, a teacher of another school in Pang.

Ahead of the reopening, all five newly appointed teachers — Abdul Majeed K., Sameena P., Fasdeela VP, and Raghi KK, who joined in place of the deceased teachers, along with Thafseena, appointed on a temporary contract basis — visited the homes of students to interact with them and build familiarity. Special counselling sessions were also conducted to help children recover from trauma caused by the tragedy.

The Mankada Block-level Praveshanolsavam was organised at the school on Monday in a colourful manner with the specific aim of helping children move beyond the painful memories associated with the loss of their beloved teachers.

By around 9 am, children began arriving at the campus where teachers stood ready amid the decorated premises. When the first batch of students reached the school in buses around 9.30 am, Headmaster Ahammed Kutty K welcomed them with flowers and colourful caps before leading them to their classrooms. MLA Manjalamkuzhi Ali greeted students inside classrooms, while parents busied themselves distributing laddu and payasam to students and visitors.

Following the formal inauguration, a musical performance by singer Athul Narukara brought energy to the campus, with students singing, dancing and enjoying the celebrations.

"We have a total of 160 students here. The tragedy had badly affected them. Counselling sessions and direct interactions by teachers through house visits have helped them recover considerably from the trauma. Teachers and parents have been actively involved in various activities to support the children amid the grief and pain of this loss," Ahammed Kutty said.

During the programme, Shahdeen, one of the survivors of the accident, was brought to the school in an ambulance to meet the students.

Yasoda, a teacher in the pre-primary section, said the newly appointed teachers had quickly become close to the students.

"The new teachers are very active and friendly. We are hopeful that the students will gradually recover from the painful memories associated with the tragedy," she said.

"The new teachers are very friendly and listen to us. We were waiting eagerly for the reopening day," said Fathima Mahaja, a Class III student.

Though the Praveshanolsavam unfolded in a festive atmosphere, the pain lingered in the expressions of parents watching from the sidelines and in the subdued conversations among villagers. 

"We cannot forget the days we spent with the teachers who passed away. The image of Asha Teacher, who was always active in school programmes, still comes to my mind. It is very painful. But we try not to express it in front of our children," said Reshma, a parent.

Raseena, a teacher in the pre-primary section, said memories of her deceased colleagues filled her mind when she left home for school on Monday morning.

"Only a few students are still struggling to overcome the situation. We are working closely with them and are hopeful that the entire village, the school and the students can overcome this crisis through a united effort," said Raghi KK, one of the newly appointed teachers.

As the celebrations drew to a close around noon and children returned home carrying balloons, sweets and smiles, Pang's adults quietly carried something else — the responsibility of helping a generation heal. The grief remains, but on reopening day, the village chose hope over heartbreak, determined to ensure that the memories of loss do not overshadow the future of its children.