Members of the Pune Malayali Samajam, who managed to send a truckload of high-quality foodstuff, medicines and daily essentials to flood victims in Kerala after several days of hard work and fund-raising, now regret their effort.
After travelling over 1,500 km, the truck stopped by a private building at Pullanjimedu near Thamarassery on Saturday afternoon. The Samajam activists wanted to relax for a while and also get the relief materials sorted and packaged to be sent to different places, especially to Wayanad.
However, a group of local political activists, mostly from the IUML and Congress, suspected foul play. They thought the relief materials were being diverted and sold to a businessman. Some also alleged that the CPI(M) had a role in the conspiracy. The police stepped in and locked the building where the materials were downloaded.
By morning, the BJP took over the “preventive seizure”. As the day advanced, an all-party meeting was held in the presence of taluk officials and the police. By the time, the political activists were convinced that the truck contained genuine relief materials and that it was meant to be distributed to flood victims mainly in Wayanad, and was not being diverted and sold off.
In the end, some local NGO activists and CPI(M) workers helped sort the materials and repackage them. The Thamarassery police said about 800 packets would be made out of the consignment and distributed in various parts of Wayanad on Monday. The medicines and some other materials would be sent to Chengannur.
