Wayanad (Kerala), February 28 Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed pride on Saturday that all parties had made their best efforts to fulfill their promises of providing necessary help and support to the survivors of the Chooralmala-Mundakkai tragedy.
Vadra was speaking on the occasion of handing over 51 houses, built by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) at Vellithode, to the survivors of the tragedy.
The landslide claimed over 200 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes in July 2024.
She said that the IUML is constructing 54 more houses, along with a prayer hall, a playground for children, and a community center, and praised them for doing "a better job" than the Congress, which was only beginning construction work.
Vadra told her party colleagues and workers that they face stiff competition from the League and should complete their houses very soon.
She also praised the League and its volunteer organization, White Brigade, for the work they did following the landslides.
The Congress MP said that at most disaster sites she has visited over the years, she had seen only chaos and confusion, but in the Chooralmala-Mundakkai area, she saw "an organised and efficient effort" to help and support those who were suffering.
She noted that the IUML's volunteer organization was mobilised even before government efforts began.
Vadra further said that usually people affected by such tragedies are devastated, but "it was rare for us to see the kind of resilience, courage, and strength the people of Wayanad have shown us."
She said that while nothing and no one can give back to the survivors what they lost in the disaster, the new houses would hopefully provide them "a sense of shelter, safety, and comfort."
"They [houses] are our way of trying to say that we are with you until each one of you rebuilds your lives and moves on," she said.
Earlier in the day, the Congress MP had visited the township being built for the Wayanad tragedy victims and expressed satisfaction with the rehabilitation housing project.
"I am happy to see that so much work has been done. It looks to me like the quality of at least the house I have seen is good," she told reporters.
During the day, she also visited the Perikallur-Bairakuppa bridge project, which is designed to connect Wayanad in Kerala with Karnataka across the Kabini River.
After visiting the site, she told reporters that she would do everything possible to ensure the project becomes a reality.
She also said that a new proposal has been made to complete the bridge construction by avoiding forest areas in Karnataka, and she will work closely with the government in the neighbouring state to speed up the process.
The Congress MP also had an informal discussion with tribal education activists and researchers on the problems and ways forward in the field of tribal education.
She said that development activities for tribals should respect their sense of identity and cultural characteristics.
Vadra also said that tribal children can be attracted to education only if they have the opportunity to study in their mother tongue at the school level.
