Wayanad's Chooralmala and Mundakkai are in dire need of motivation and resilience. Probably more than most places in the world right now. The deadly landslides that claimed over 350 lives have removed life as the survivors may remember.
As the two hilly settlements gradually stand up and begin taking small steps to normalcy, Gerry and the Pacemakers' famous lines would make so much sense to them.
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
For your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
The song is familiar to football fans as it is eternalised by fans of Premier League side Liverpool. Followers of the Merseyside club or 'The Reds' as they are called, sing the song at their stadium with great pride and emotion.
But a group of Liverpool fans in Kerala seems to have done a lot more than offering moral support. They have acted to ensure that the people of Chooralmala and Mundakkai would not have to walk alone in their darkest hours. The 97-strong WhatsApp group 'Liverpool FC' on Friday decided to contribute to the relief activities in Wayanad. Once there was consensus, they split responsibilities among themselves, a treasurer to keep tabs, publicists to spread the word...
Liverpool fans have loved the word miracle ever since that famous night in Istanbul. And what members of 'Liverpool FC' WhatsApp group achieved under 48 hours was another miracle, they would agree. In their own words, what was the platform made to discuss outlandish transfer rumours, hopes for Stefan Bajcetic coming of age, Darwin Nunez winning the Golden Boot and more importantly how their bald guy was better than the one rivals have got, become something else. What was one person's random idea on Friday, flourished beyond expectations, so much that by Sunday evening, they had contributed Rs 80,000 to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) -- an emergency assistance release mechanism.
The group broke the news to the world themselves on Sunday night.
"It was Jens bro on Friday night who asked if we could contribute for the victims of Wayanad. And when Akhil volunteered to collect the funds, what we expected was to find a small sum made up of individual contributions from each member," group member Shamil Anu wrote on Facebook.
"But as we all know, compassionate people are an incredible phenomenon. They'll never let you walk alone. It was Rs.80,000 that we managed to collect and contribute to the CMDRF in under two days," the excited Perintalmanna native jotted.
The nobility of the cause and a sense of belongingness helped the collection, Jithu Shaji, a member of 'Liverpool FC' group told THE WEEK. Some of the members are working abroad, mainly in the Middle East, he said. "It was a sudden initiative and the fund collection happened quickly. A few were added to the group during the collection and the family of the members also contributed.
"A bank account was shared for everyone to send their contributions to and the families pitching in made the difference, it seems," Jithu said.
Shamil Anu said there was an agenda for sharing the news publically. In the football-mad Kerala, cyber communities with thousands and ten thousand members exist. If a small 97-strong community can achieve this, imagine what bigger circles can deliver, he asks.
"For those of us in the safe zones, the impact of the tragedy will disappear with time. But for those in Wayanad who have lost their parents, children, siblings, homes and sources of income, nothing will be the same ever again. Thus, this post is made public for the bigger football fan groups out there to see... If you can do the same, please do it," Anu said.
"After all, Football is love... Dear Wayanad, You'll Never Walk Alone," the post going viral on social media said in a concluding note.
Under their new manager Arne Slot, Premier League runners-up Liverpool will end its pre-season campaign at Anfield, playing against two different La Liga clubs on the same day -- a week before the English season begins. They will start the league campaign against Ipswich Town away on August 17.
