Anikha is here to invite octogenarians to be part of School youth festival

More-than-85-year-old Annamma John and her husband John Mathew were in for a surprise when Palakkad school student Anikha invited them to the Youth festival, which will be flagged off on Friday in Alappuzha.

“Grandma I have come from Palakkad for School Youth festival…aren’t you coming?

The old couple were yet to come out of the bad memories of flood that had ravaged their town. “Oh child, a deluge has just ended. Behold... there was water till the roof of that shop. When the water rose, we thought Jesus would be calling us to him…but water receded and we got our life extended.”

The girl quipped with a smile: Do you know why you got your life extended? It is for seeing our Youth festival. The girl told them that she was also coming from a place battered by floods.

Anikha had arrived here as a participant in the youth festival, setting aside memories of loss and miseries caused by floods.

This teenager like many others had reached Alappuzha where hundreds still are struggling to rebuild their life in the aftermath of floods.

The youth festival will also be a trumpet call for their resurgence.