Thiruvananthapuram, May 22 (IANS) After T. Siddique took oath as Kerala’s Agriculture Minister, one of the first calls he received was not from political leaders or bureaucrats, but from a group of students from the tragedy scarred Mundakkai–Chooralmala region of Wayanad.

The video call which took place on Thursday quickly turned emotional.

“When nobody else was there, you stood with us like strength and shelter,” the students told him, their voices carrying memories of loss, uncertainty and survival after the devastating landslides that shattered families and futures in the hill district.

For Siddique, the moment was deeply personal.

Many of the children on the screen were students he had helped rebuild through his MLA Care initiative after the disaster uprooted hundreds of lives.

Several had lost parents or close relatives.

Many feared their education would end abruptly amid grief and financial ruin.

But what began as an emergency intervention slowly evolved into one of Wayanad’s most touching rehabilitation efforts.

Siddique, however, was quick to share the credit.

He said the support extended by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi played a crucial role in mobilising help when the district was struggling to recover.

According to Siddique, the Gandhi siblings helped bring together CSR support from various business groups to ensure that students could continue their education without interruption.

The assistance covered higher studies in demanding fields, including medicine, engineering and even aviation dreams, many families feared had been buried beneath the landslide debris.

The numbers tell a remarkable story.

A total of 351 students across Wayanad benefited from the initiative, including 152 directly affected by the disaster.

In perhaps the strongest sign of recovery, 21 students have already secured jobs within two years.

Yet beyond statistics, the programme became something far more human, a promise that tragedy would not decide the destiny of Wayanad’s children.

Siddique assured the students that the support would continue and that employment opportunities would also be facilitated for those completing their studies, ensuring that hope, once restored, would not fade again.

–IANS

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