More people have come up with offers of help for student dairy farmer Kizhakkeparampil Mathew Benny and his family who lost 13 cows due to ingestion of toxins.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan called on the family on Tuesday evening and promised that the party would provide two cows for the family. Party leaders said the district committee would give the cows to the family soon. In addition to that, the Idukki and Moolamattom area committees of the Kerala Karshaka Sangham, the feeder organisation of the CPI(M), will each provide a cow to the family.
Officials of Pala Brilliant Study Centre, who visited the family on Wednesday morning, offered free entrance coaching for Mathew. “Mathew’s ambition is to be a veterinary doctor and the Brilliant Study Centre will help to fulfil his dream,” they said.
Family members of Mathew said they received ₹13 lakh and a cow on Tuesday. The government and other organisations promised to provide 13 cows and further assistance to the family.
Mathew, a Class X student, collapsed and had to be hospitalised after the sudden death of his cows. He said he would be going back to school from Thursday.
The incident occurred on Sunday night at the dairy farm at Velliyamattom, near Thodupuzha. The cows began to collapse around 8.30 p.m. after the family provided tapioca hull to the cows. Within hours, 13 out of the 22 cows died.
A medical team of the Animal Husbandry department is monitoring the condition of the nine cows under treatment. “The animals are out of danger, and the team will be monitoring them for one more week,” said an official.
