Ilze Skromane has only painful memories associated with Kerala, where she lost her sister . But when the State is facing distress, she did not have to think twice before lending a helping hand.
On Wednesday, Ilze, younger sister of Latvian woman Liga who was found murdered in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram last year , sent her contribution to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Video message
She also sent a video message addressed to Keralites, which was shared by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on his Facebook page.
“Dear Keralities, I just wanted to make this video to tell you that I have not forgotten you. I have been watching closely the hard times you are going through at the moment. Please know that you are in my thoughts and in my prayers. Hope that really soon this hardship will be behind you and you will be able to start to rebuild your lives. I am sending you all my love from the other side of the ocean. Stay strong and I will come and visit you sometime soon. Hopefully, by that time everything will be back to normal,” she said in the message.
The Chief Minister lauded Ilze for standing with the State in such a difficult time, by sharing a part of her earnings.
Liga and Ilze had come to Kerala in February last year for a short vacation. Liga went missing on March 14, leading to a long-winded search.
Ilze began documenting the details of the search on a Facebook page, ‘Missing in Kerala’, and also knocked on every possible door to find a lead on her sister’s whereabouts. On April 20, Liga’s decomposed body was found near a mangrove forest at Panathura in Thiruvananthapuram.
Two persons were arrested on charges of murder and the case is pending trial.
