What makes the Wayanad landslides of 2024 an incredible story of human kindness, compassion, and camaraderie is the presence of hundreds of volunteers—commoners who poured in from across the State to take part in rescue and relief work. The efforts of this “army” of civilians have impressed even soldiers, police, and government officials.
“They are incredible,” said an Army officer watching a group of volunteers distributing food to media persons. “They have given us such great support, something I have not before seen in similar situations. They risked everything for people they never knew existed before July 30.”
Azeez Kallumpuram, a Gulf returnee in his late thirties, is one such volunteer and has been cleaning up corpses for the inquest process. On August 6, when Frontline visited the Meppadi panchayat office where the inquest work on the deceased takes place, the building and the adjoining health centre had seen an influx of dead bodies. Most were identified and swiftly handed over to relatives after post-mortem examinations. Even though the place was not crowded on Day 7 of the catastrophe, the environment exuded unbearable sorrow and devastation.
Civil Defence volunteers taking a quick break near the ravaged Chooralmala on August 7, 2024. | Photo Credit: Jinoy Jose P.
From a distance, the panchayat premises appear to be set up for communal dining or a gathering. In the foreground, several long wooden tables with benches are arranged in rows. The tables look weathered and well-used. To the right side of the makeshift hall, there is a striking decorative element: a large fabric with a vibrant pattern featuring diamond shapes in bright red and orange against a white background with a lattice-like design. This colourful backdrop, however, hardly hides the devastation.
“I’ve cleaned up more than 100 bodies so far,” said Azeez, who had a face mask on and plastic overalls. “I reached this place a day after the disaster struck,” he said. “When I was told that there was a shortage of people to clean the dead bodies as part of the inquest, I volunteered to do it.” He is also part of a blood donation collective called “Blood Is Red Koottayma” in Thrissur district.
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Azeez is now joined by Shaija Baby, an ASHA worker and a former member of Meppadi panchayat. Her familiarity with the village and its people as a social worker has helped in identifying the broken, torn, damaged, and decayed bodies found under the debris. Shaija has lost at least eight of her relatives in the landslide. But the 48-year-old is not ready to rest or even mourn her losses.
“Naseema’s face was mangled beyond recognition, but I was able to recognise her by her feet,” she said, explaining how she identified one of the victims. “She had those beautiful, unique feet that anyone would notice. As for Haridas, he used to wear a wig, which helped with identification,” Shaija told Frontline.
A young man attached to Santhwanam, a volunteer group under the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, during a search operation in Mundakkai on August 6, 2024 | Photo Credit: Jinoy Jose P.
For the common good
What motivates these volunteers? What is it that makes them put common good before their own pain, anguish, and discomfort? “Isn’t that what humans do, or should do?” said Subash Mangalath of Taliparamba in Kannur district. He and his fellow volunteer Aneesh N.F. of Thiruvananthapuram are part of the All India Youth Federation’s (AIYF) volunteer collective, Bhagat Singh Youth Force. The AIYF is attached to the Communist Party of India (CPI).
In fact, every political outfit, religious group, and social organisation has deployed volunteers in Wayanad, along with Civil Defence, a trained rescue force of civilians under the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority and the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services department.
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