Bride-to-be donates Rs one lakh for flood relief

Moved by the plight of the rain-hit victims in Kerala, a bride-to-be here has donated Rs one lakh, which had been set apart for purchasing gold ornaments, to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Hailing from Vatakara in Kozhikode district, Amrita S Venu, a content writer at a Bengaluru-based digital marketing company, is all set to tie the knot on September 15.

"I am not into ornaments. I decided that rather than using the jewels for a day, it can be used for a better purpose for people in need," she told PTI.

Seeing the misery and disheartening visuals of the flood-affected on television,Amrita said she decided to donate the money and help them in whatever little way she could.

"I am not going to wear any jewels for my wedding," Amrita said, adding that she had conveyed this to her fiance, Sabharish, working in an IT firm at Bengaluru, and her in-laws who were "totally supportive" of her gesture.

A demand draft for the amount has been handed over to the local CPI(M) leaders towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, here father, K K Venu, said.

The devastating deluge, which has claimed 231 lives with over 10 lakh people in relief camps, has seen an outpouring of donations from various parts of the country and abroad.

Recently, a newly married couple from Kasaragod gifted two gold bangles valued at Rs 60,000 at the marriage venue itself for the relief fund.

A six-year-old girl of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu has donated her piggybank savings, which she had saved for purchasing presents, to the fund.

Sajeesh, husband of Lini Puthussery, a nurse who died after contracting Nipah virus while treating a patient in Kozhikode, donated his first salary to the relief fund.

The state government had given Sajeesh a government job, recognising the sacrifice of his wife.

Reports of similar gestures of generosity have also come in from Wayanad and Idukki and other parts.