In a touching moment linked to the devastating Wayanad landslide tragedy, Kerala’s newly sworn-in Agriculture Minister T. Siddique received an emotional video call from students of the Mundakkai–Chooralmala region who survived the disaster and rebuilt their lives through an education support initiative led by him.

The call, which took place shortly after Siddique took oath as minister, has drawn attention across Kerala after students thanked him for helping them continue their studies following the deadly Wayanad landslides.

“When nobody else was there, you stood with us like strength and shelter,” the students told Siddique during the emotional interaction.

Many of the children had lost parents, relatives and homes in the landslide disaster that devastated parts of Wayanad. Several families also faced severe financial hardship, forcing students to fear their education and career dreams would come to an abrupt end.

But Siddique’s MLA Care initiative became a major lifeline for affected students, helping many continue higher studies despite the tragedy.

The emotional exchange is being widely discussed because it highlights one of the biggest rehabilitation efforts launched after the Wayanad landslide disaster.

According to Siddique, the initiative supported 351 students across Wayanad, including 152 directly affected by the landslides.

The programme helped students pursue professional and higher education courses, including medicine, engineering and aviation studies.

In a major development, 21 students have already secured jobs within two years of the disaster, reflecting the long-term impact of the rehabilitation effort.

Siddique credited Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for helping mobilise CSR and financial support for students after the landslides.

According to the minister, the Congress leaders helped connect business groups and donors at a time when many families in Wayanad were struggling to recover from the tragedy.

Siddique said support for the students will continue and assured them that employment opportunities would also be facilitated after they complete their studies.

The minister said the goal was not just relief, but ensuring that the Wayanad landslide tragedy would not decide the future of an entire generation of children.

With IANS inputs