Tamil Nadu IAS officer's foster daughter, who survived 2004 tsunami, gets married

Chennai: Meena was just two-years-old when the then Nagapattinam Collector J Radhakrishnan held her in his hands for the first time, days after she was orphaned by the 2004 deadly tsunami. The toddler was handed over to the care of Radhakrishnan, whose efforts led to the creation of Annai Sathya Illam that gave shelter to children like Meena who lost both their parents to the giant waves.

Two decades later, on February 2, Radhakrishnan and his wife Krithika solemnised the wedding of their 23-year-old foster daughter Meena with Manimaran in Nagapattinam with tears swelling up their eyes.

As Manimaran and Meena tied the knot, erupting in joy was Sowmya, another toddler orphaned by the tragedy, who was also fostered by Radhakrishnan and his wife. Sowmya, who got married in 2022, came for the wedding with her husband Subhash and their girl child, Sara.

Radhakrishnan, currently Additional Chief Secretary (Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection), and his wife made it a point to visit the girls whenever they could ever since they began fostering them in 2005. The tsunami had left a trail of destruction across the state with Nagapattinam alone accounting for over 6,000 deaths and Radhakrishnan coordinated the relief efforts in his capacity as the district collector.

Meena and Sowmya forged a bond with each other and became friends for life as they grew together at the Annai Sathya Illam, which turned into a home for many from a mere shelter with the dedication of many good-hearted souls like late Suryakala.

Radhakrishnan told DH he couldn’t control his tears when Meena called him appa during their 2018 meeting when he was in the district to oversee Cyclone Gaja relief work.

“Meena and Sowmya are shining examples of resilience. They overcome every difficulty in life to come this far. I have no words to explain my tears of joy as we solemnised the marriage of these two kids we held in our hands as toddlers,” Radhakrishnan, who has had a role to play in the lives of Meena and Sowmya at every stage, said.

Though 99 children were given shelter at the Annai Sathya Illam, only Sowmya and Meena remained there after they turned 18 as they had no known relatives who claimed them.

It was Radhakrishnan, who persuaded M Malarvizhi, member of Child Welfare Committee and A Manivannan to take them in as foster children after they turned adults. The couple helped the girls complete their graduation.

Meena is happy and excited that she is getting married into a large family and hopes to spend time with her new family, trying to make up for the affection that she missed in her life.

“Disasters can never be treated as statistics. Beyond loss of life, shelter and livelihoods, loss of relationships and challenges of the vulnerable require constant follow up. I am happy I could see them grow, study, graduate, and now settle into beautiful lives,” he added.