In the scarred hills of Wayanad's Mundakkai-Chooralmala region, a small bakery and restaurant named 'July 30' has quietly become a powerful symbol of resilience. Nearly one and a half years after a catastrophic landslide claimed 298 lives, this establishment, painted with memories of a lost village, tells a story of profound loss and remarkable recovery.
From Unimaginable Loss to a Collective Resolve
For Kalatingal Noufal, 43, the cafe represents a journey back from the abyss. Returning from Oman just five days after the July 30 disaster, he was met with complete devastation. "Everything — the land of my birth, my family including my parents, wife, three children and every dream I ever dared to hold — was gone," he recalls. Among the victims were 11 members of his own family.
Faced with an overwhelming void, Noufal made a pivotal choice. Instead of moving in with relatives, he joined nearly 40 other survivors from Mundakkai in a shared dormitory. "During the day, we stood at the Meppadi hospital trying to identify the bodies of our loved ones. At night, we came together — not to cry alone but to heal together," he said. This collective living space forged an unbreakable bond and a shared promise to rebuild their lives.
The Birth of the 'July 30' Cafe: A Community Effort
The path to recovery was paved by the support of both strangers and community organizations. Initially, Noufal wished to flee back to the Gulf to be anonymous in his grief. "I wanted to disappear — to be alone in a place where nobody knew me," he admits. However, the outreach from Kerala's society changed his mind.
Key organizations stepped in to provide tangible support. The Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM) played a crucial role in helping Noufal establish the 'July 30' cafe along the Meppadi-Chooralmala road. Later, the KMCC built a new home for him following his recent remarriage. Noufal has paid this solidarity forward by creating livelihoods, employing five people from Chooralmala who also suffered severe losses in the tragedy.
Walls That Speak: A Memorial in Brushstrokes
The cafe itself is a poignant memorial. Its walls are adorned with paintings depicting the Mundakkai that once was — rolling green hills, a school alive with children, a serene mosque. These images ensure the village, now erased from the landscape, survives in memory and art.
During a recent visit around the disaster's first anniversary, the cafe was undergoing extensions, a sign of growth and forward movement. Noufal, once found only behind the counter, now oversees the work, his calm demeanor belying the storm he has endured. His story is a touching example of how a shattered community is stitching itself back together, supported by the broader fabric of Kerala's society.
As Noufal reflects, the tragedy forged unexpected bonds. "There are people you expect to stand by you in your darkest hour. But sometimes, it is those you have never known who carry you through." In a landscape forever marked by loss, the 'July 30' cafe stands not just as a business, but as a beautiful, enduring reminder of human hope, optimism, and the strength found in unity.
