When We Lose the Earth Under Our Feet: An Epilogue for Wayanad
Image Courtesy: Instagram Ever since the fateful day on 30 July 2024, when Wayanad in Kerala, was hit by the catastrophic landslides, day after day, hour after hour, a certain numbness set in. It is a numbness that results from seeing hundreds of people, men, women, and children dead, some floating in rivers several kilometres away in the most visceral display of nature’s uncompromising transfiguration. Equally terrifying is the human bodies floating in the Chaliyar River in Pothukallu panchayat in Malappuram district about 12 kilometres away from the location of the landslide. These bodies were washed away by the gush of water from the hills that spat out death for hundreds of people. Some bodies are dismembered and now people are collecting human limbs from the river shore. In the numbness, it wasn't easy to find words of consolation. It was also difficult to find words of prayer. However, by the Grace of God, I was able to pray a rosary for the deceased and especially for the ca