A Year After Cyclone Ockhi, Locals Still Feel Numbed By Tragedy

It has been a year since Cyclone Ockhi lashed across Kerala and rendered many missing. Even today the wails echo.

Fisherman Amaladasan stands beside a poster showing photos of 70 fishermen missing from Vallavilai village in Kanyakumari district since Cyclone Ockhi. 

(Photo Courtesy: MM Paniyil )

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Cameraperson: Syed Shiyaz Mirza

Waves kiss the shore as boats – tied down – sway with the breeze. It is dusk, and husbands and brothers bid goodbye and head towards the deep blue with net and basket in hand. The ladies of the house watch them move towards their boats – and then into the horizon. As their silhouettes disappear, fear sets in. They get on with the rest of their work but their hearts feel heavy and uneasy.

It’s hard to let go of memories from last year’s devastating Cyclone Ockhi. On 29 November 2017, the cyclone hit Kerala, killing 52 and rendering 91 missing.

A year later, the memories are still fresh. The fishing suburb of Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram lost so many family members on that treacherous day that even today many who returned are scared to step back into the waters.

Those Who Never Returned

At around 3:30 pm on 29 November last year, Kumar Edward waved goodbye and went to the sea.

“Usually, he would return by 7 am. He would bathe the kids, feed them and drop them at school. We thought the cyclone was like one of those usual rough days. But that day even at 7:30 am, I had laid out the table, but he didn’t return," says Selvi, Kumar’s wife.

She breaks down, unable to contain her grief. She adds that every day she hopes he’d return and make the family complete again.

We waited. We will still keep waiting. Till I die I will never stop waiting. 

Selvi, Kumar’s wife

It is the same story in several households in this area. Some have lost their loved ones, some are still waiting, some have been left injured and bedridden due to the calamity.

However, for Mary Anjalina, it is a twisted tale of trauma. Her two sons had gone to the sea that day. After waiting for long, only one boy returned.

"He just said there was heavy rain and he went off to bed. By evening I woke him up to ask if he knew anything about John, because he still hadn't returned. He began beating his chest and for two weeks he was walking like a mad man,” says Mary.

If you look at him, you would say his face looks ugly because he carries that pain. He is afraid to go to work even now. Probably because he had seen a lot.

Mary Anjalina

Compensation Can’t Heal the Scars

The Kerala government has shelled out Rs 120 crore for helping people repair their lives. It provided Rs 20 lakh to the families of those missing, and Rs 22 lakh to the families of the deceased. The government also provided jobs and education fees for the family and kids of the victims.

But has this all reached people and changed anything?

Selvi nods saying all the promises made were fulfilled. Rs 20 lakh was deposited in a treasury account, and they receive Rs 12,000 every month for expenses. She works in a manufacturing unit and with the kids’ education taken care of, there isn’t much of a financial strain.

“Many are telling us to be grateful for the money we have got. But it is the kids’ father who is important. There should be a person to call father right? Can they call a box of cash their father?” asks Selvi.

However, Emlitta, whose husband also went missing, has a different story to tell.

She has been receiving the monthly allowance from the treasury account, but supporting three children has become difficult.

“With this Rs 12,000 I need to pay the rent, take care of the kids, pay the electricity bill, pay education fees. I don’t know what to do... When my husband was there I never had to worry about household expenses. Only now am I understanding all this,” she says.

“We were promised a job, but when I went and asked they said I was above 40 years so I won’t get a job. How will I manage my family?”

Emlitta, Wife of Denson

The state has been doing its best to ensure that the victims of Cyclone Ockhi get the help to rebuild their lives. However, it seems that even though money and jobs have being given, the scars are here to stay.