Thiruvananthapuram , June 8:
A social media post by senior journalist M.S. Sanilkumar comparing the responses of two Kerala Chief Ministers to children in distress has sparked widespread discussion online, following Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s decision to help a six-year-old girl from Vizhinjam whose emotional appeal for a home recently went viral.
The child, Ruvani, captured public attention after a video surfaced in which she directly appealed to the Chief Minister, asking whether the government could help her family build a house. The video quickly gained traction on social media and reached the Chief Minister’s office.
Soon after, Chief Minister Satheesan assured the family that the government would provide assistance to build a house. According to reports, the matter was brought to his attention by his media secretary, Roy Mathew, who immediately contacted the child’s mother and conveyed the government’s commitment to support the family.
In a widely shared Facebook post, journalist M.S. Sanilkumar used the occasion to recall a contrasting experience from the tenure of former Chief Minister A.K. Antony. The post revisits an incident involving a group of HIV-positive children who, years ago, were allegedly denied the opportunity to study alongside other students due to social stigma surrounding the disease.
Sanilkumar recounted the severe hardships faced by the children and their families and described efforts by journalists and activists to secure government support. As part of those efforts, the children were taken to meet the then Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, seeking assistance for their treatment and welfare.
According to the journalist’s account, the meeting proved disappointing. He alleged that Antony maintained a distance from the children, did not interact with or comfort them, and failed to respond positively to requests for financial assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, despite the fund having substantial resources at the time.
A notable aspect of the story is that Roy Mathew, who was among the journalists involved in taking the HIV-affected children to meet Antony years ago, is today serving as the media secretary to Chief Minister Satheesan. It was Mathew who reportedly ensured that Ruvani’s plea reached the Chief Minister and facilitated the government’s swift response.
Concluding his post, Sanilkumar argued that the difference between the two episodes reflects not merely the passage of time, but a deeper contrast in compassion, empathy and the willingness of leaders to respond to the suffering of vulnerable citizens.
