Of the many rejoinders to my recent feature ‘Kerala has 4042 Centenarians and the BBC bashing Kerala as a ghost city,’ two  from across the globe have put my nerves on the boil-one from New York and the other from Kasargod. Both merit close attention.

The New York caller Eapen Malikekal said at the very outset: ‘I read your article with great interest and felt very badly about the BBC calling Kerala a city of the dead based on its finding the central Kerala village of Kumbanad left with many houses where aged parents are kept in big houses with no children to take care of. I say it is a blatant lie.

 Bond across the oceans: Sosamma, 106,  of Meenadam, Kottayam, taken care of by son in NY

‘My mother Sosamma  in my home in the village of Meenadam in Kottayam district will be 107 in November next. She is being taken care of by my elder sister Aleyamma,  86, living with her. Being the only son, I keep a constant tag on them from my place in New York and visit them quite often. I make it a point to fly to Kerala every six months. Last year I flew in three times as she was bedridden after a fall. 

‘Six years back, we organized  her 100th birthday bash by inviting the neighbors and relatives for a grand feast. She relished the delicacies served on tender plantain leaves.

“My two daughters who are doctors in the US hugged their grandma in gay abandon and took plenty of pictures some of which adorn our living room in New York. Hence myself and my wife Rosamma feel our dear mummy is always with us as her benign face beams at us from the mantel piece’ Eapen said.

 Eapen Maliekal and Rosamma with mummy in their home in Meenadam, Kottayam

It is more than half a century since the Eapens landed in the US. To be precise it was in 1973. They settled in the Staten Island where they attend Sunday masses at the  Mar Gregorios Jacobite church, ten minutes away from home. Eapen, 75, retired from the housing department of the city. As a devout  church-goer, Eapen has been instrumental in establishing the first Jacobite Church in the US in Staten  Island.   

The Jacobite Archdiocese of America and Canada headed by Eldho Mar Titus with his headquarters  at Old Tappan Road, New Jersey has grown to own 76 churches.In recognition of his services to the community, Eapen was elevated to the rank of a Chevalier in 2010 by the Patriarch of Antioch, supreme head of the Church in Damascus.  

Grand daughters Dr. Betsy and Dr. Bebely with daddy at their Long Island home

Rosamma, a nurse,  still serves in the Staten Island University Hospital. Of their two daughters, Dr. Betsy works in Maryland while Dr. Bebely in New Jersey. Born In Vaikom, Rosamma has her brother Joy Kurian living in Detroit.

‘We are proud that we brought my parents to visit us six times in the past. The last visit was some 38 years back in 1986. We took them around in New York including Manhattan, Florida and Buffalo for the Niagara Falls. Father Chandy Kuriakose, a businessman, passed away at the ripe age of 97.

 Long Island Ferry moves towards Manhattan

Born on 27 December 1916 to Eapen and Achamma of Kalarickal Kadamthruthel of Manganam, Sosamma was married off to Chandy when she was 13. She was the eldest of three. Her brothers Abraham (92) and Kurian (82) spend their golden years without any serious health problems. Sosamma eats food on her own, moves about without anyone’s help. Except for a little problem of hearing, she is strong and healthy. She reads the Holy Bible every day.

As for son Eapen, he has two sisters both elder to him. Aleyamma, 86,  and Achamma, Both are widows. I happen to be their only brother. Aleyamma, with her children away lives with her mother. ‘My mother seems healthier than my sister at 86’.

 Dr. Lakshmi Putran of Central University Kasargod with Swasthik, Andria and Dr. Anoop C. Choolayil

‘Every morning, I drive Rosamma to her hospital. Back at home, I tender my kitchen garden in front of our home. We grow tomato, ash gourd, bitter gourd, lady’s finger, cucumber, pumpkin and a variety of beans, enough and more for our kitchen. After all, we are only two and the excess of the pick, we present to our neighbors and friends from Kerala around the Island. Work in the garden keeps me in robust health.’ says Eapen.

Staten Island is the southernmost of New York City's 5 boroughs. It is connected to New Jersey and Manhattan by bridges and Staten Island Ferry, which runs across New York Harbor. Staten Island Zoo is home to kangaroos, birds of prey and snakes. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden features flower beds, Greek revival buildings and art galleries. Its grounds also include the Staten Island Children’s Museum. Founded in 1661, Staten Island has a land area of 152 km² and a population of 4,76 lakhs.

 Gerontologists in the US.

The other call came from Dr. Lakshmi Putran, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and convener of its Centre for Gerontology in the Central University of Kerala at Periya,  Kasargod. She thanked me for mentioning her Centre and its work in the feature. She had more to say: 

The Centre for Gerontology was launched in 2018 at the instance of the then Vice Chancellor Dr. G. Gopakumar to address the healthy aging concept of the World Health Organization. Since then they have organized national seminars and workshops beginning with the one on Active Aging Paradigms for Post-Modern Era’ on December 6-7, 2018.  

Assisted care for the old in New York.  

Well known social scientist PKB Nayar with a PhD from the University of Pittsburg, who founded the Department Sociology in Kerala University was the main speaker. Inspired by the World Conference of Aging in Vienna that he attended in 1982, he launched the Centre for Gerontology in Kerala capital city of Trivandrum.

This was followed by a public lecture on Ageing and Alzheimers Disease in on October 17 2019. A book  “Active Ageing: Dynamics for Post Modern Era’ was also released. A webinar on Dementia and Covid 19 on September 29, 2020 was another event. An intervention research funded by ICSSR to provide psycho social care for the elderly in old age homes in Kasargod was yet another. It was titled ‘Ageing after the loss of a partner: Exploring the lives of Widowed Older Adults in Kerala’

Dr. PKB Nayar opens ageing seminar in CUK;  Sarun of CUK with Radhalakshmi, 62, being reunited with her lost relatives.  

To cap it all, Anoop C. Choolayil from Kozhikode earned his PhD for a study of the aged in care homes in Kerala under the guidance of Dr. Lakshmi.

The most memorable achievement of the Centre is perhaps the felicitation it organized for Radhalakshmi, 62, who rejoined her long lost relatives after a lapse of 30 years. It was made possible thanks to the accidental finding of her by Sarun Marunnoli of Kozhikode who was going around Kasargod old age homes as part of a survey for his Master of Social Work course at the University.  

Sarun had the hell of a time in tracing Radhaklakshmi’s elder sister’s son Gopi who had moved out of his parental home in Kasargod to run a small eatery in far away Kozhikode city.  Radhalakshmi who worked most of her years as a domestic help in Kasargod had ended up in an old age home due to failing health.

In the grand reunion ceremony organized by the Centre for Gerontology, Gopi’s sister Ramani hugged Radhalakshmi to welcome her back to their home and hearth.      

Well, the crowning glory for the young Centre of the youngest Central University in the country.