The Keralite empire on the map of love
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Everyone, even those without knowledge of the Arabic language, knows that the word ‘Naseera’ in Arabic means ‘helper.’ A young woman named Naseera from the Laksham Veedu Colony in Pinangode, Wayanad, taught the meaning of her name through her own life. She saved a stray dog that was struggling with a bone stuck in its throat. Later, that grateful creature returned to see her again. It was impossible to read this news without tears of joy. At a time when we are shocked by reports of wild animals attacking people without reason, stray dogs turning violent, and worse, humans themselves unleashing unspeakable violence on fellow human beings, other creatures, and on the very earth we live on, such stories bring a comfort beyond words. A few other instances of such unconditional humane acts also made it to the news last week. One of them was about how three young men saved a little girl choking on bubble gum in the middle of the street. From the very time it was invented, bubble gum has been used by children to chew, enjoy and make bubbles. Very often they do this without the knowledge or permission of seniors at home. But bubble gum has also, on several occasions, slipped down the throat while chewing or playing, claiming the lives of many children. This time, a third-grade girl named Fathima, realising the danger she was in and not losing her presence of mind, informed some youngsters she saw on the road. Without wasting a moment, Ismail, Jafar, and Niyas rushed to her aid and rescued her. Their timely act saved the child’s life, and in turn brought immense relief not only to her family and school, but also to the community at large. Acting with what they had learned from YouTube videos about first aid for choking, the youngsters quickly pressed the child’s stomach to expel the gum.
We live in a time when the absence of first-aid knowledge and presence of mind is costing countless lives. Recently, we also witnessed the tragic loss of a person who collapsed in front of hundreds of people during an auditorium event, simply because not a single individual there knew how to perform CPR (0cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Incidentally, these incidents remind us that schools, colleges, clubs, libraries, places of worship, residents’ associations, and fitness groups must all take the initiative to begin first-aid and trauma care training and prepare volunteers without delay. Another piece of news that deeply moved hearts was about members of the Kerala Police force who pulled two people back into life after they had tried to end their own lives. Residents reported to the helpline number 112 the presence of unusual lights in an unoccupied house. Acting on the call, Sub Inspector Jayaraj P G, along with Civil Police Officers Sudeesh Kumar and Nidheesh N, who were on night patrol duty, lost no time to rush to the house at Kochukadavanthara in Ernakulam. They found the head of the family hanging with a noose around his neck. The officers snapped the rope and brought him down, administered first aid, rushed him to the hospital, and then shifted him to the Medical College Hospital to avoid treatment delays. Following the doctor’s advice, they themselves arranged for a Philadelphia collar as part of the medical care. In another case of rescue, in Attingal, a young man distressed by a broken romance climbed onto the Aylam bridge determined to jump into the river and end his life. Sub-Inspector Jishnu and Assistant Sub-Inspector Muraleedharan Pillai calmed him down and guided him back to life.
This was not the first time that police officers have been involved in such life-saving interventions. Even though such stories about the Kerala Police get overshadowed by reports of misconduct, misuse of power, or custodial violence by a few individuals, it will be unjust not to acknowledge and appreciate these noble deeds. Equally touching was the vigilance shown by three students, Aadidev (Adi), Aryatej (Pachu), and Navaneeth (Shanku) of Kooliyad Government School in Kasaragod. They made sure that a pair of spectacles they found on the road was safely returned to its rightful owner, an elderly man. We have seen and heard of many such deeds in the past all around us. After all, Kerala is the land of Sree Narayana Guru, who taught: “Such Mercy that even to an ant. would brook not the least harm to befall. O Mercy-Maker, do vouchsafe with contemplation. Which from Thy pure Presence never strays.” Yet, in an age when words and actions filled with hatred and cruelty spread across the world in ways that make malice and slander bear the air of human nature itself, it takes immense courage to forget oneself and step forward for the sake of others. That is precisely why we must remember with the utmost respect, and make part of our lessons, people like Naseera of Pinangode and the children of Kooliyad, who preserved the true beauty of what it means to be human.
