The worth of a person!

 

A truck carrying timber, driven by Mr Arjun, got washed away to a flooded river, following a massive landslide due to incessant rain, on the national high way 66, 72 days ago. The search was carried out initially under the massive mountain of earth created by the landslide. When there was no indication of a trapped truck on the land, the search extended to the swollen river. 

Yesterday, the cabin of the truck in a mangled state, with the hidden  body of the driver Mr Arjun,   was recovered.  

The truck was partly lifted out of water and the operations would continue today to remove the truck from that site. 

This massive search operation using high powered machines, and scores of divers continued relentlessly after the flooded river returned to its near normal water level.

Though the family and  relatives lost hope of finding the body, the search continued due to the active interest of the owner of the truck and some members of the family of Mr Arjun. 

The government of Karnataka under whose jurisdiction was the place where the landslide occurred, took an active interest in mobilising equipment and specialists to conduct the search operations. Volunteers, local Members of the Legislative assembly, army personnel and well wishers engaged in this recovery process.  

The flower bunch above, from our garden, is our offering to the family of Mr Arjun, while they now perform the last rites of his body!

I have been following the rescue operation from the beginning as the heartfelt sympathy with which the volunteers and the professionals participated in the search process created an impression of high regard they attributed to a life that was lost and to his sorrowing family. The print and digital media brought reports plentifully to create a message of human kindness at such times of loss and grief. 

The initial search was, while it was heavily raining and the river was overflowing on the sides. Later it became more manageable. 

I look back over the last seventy two days, when the volunteers and professionals earnestly, in spite of risk and hardship, undertook the search operation till they found Mr Arjun's body. 

It was a symbol of honour and regard people had for Mr Arjun and his family. 

There are times when a calamity throws open new dimensions of human brotherhood! I felt touched and moved by such an intense commitment to give a honourable funeral to Mr Arjun rather than allow him buried in the debris of the landslide!

Human life is valuable, honourable and memorable! This message came forth from the dedicated search operation for an ordinary person, who was lost in a landslide! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo of the landslide, truck and the recovered truck from Malayalam Manorama dated 26.9.2024).