On a day, when thousands had gathered at the Central stadium to witness V.D. Satheesan take oath of office as Kerala’s Chief Minister and the cameras were all trained on the array of VVIPs on stage, one of the quiet moments of the day belonged to Vinodini, the nine-year-old from Pallassana in Palakkad district, who shares a special bond with Mr. Satheesan.

Vinodini had come with her mother, Praseeda to attend the ceremony and greet the new Chief Minister, with a bouquet of flowers in her arms, one of which was a prosthetic arm . The story behind it had saddened every Keralite.

Last September, Vinodini had fractured her right arm in a fall while playing. She was taken to Palakkad district hospital, where her arm was put in a cast. But the arm became infected allegedly because of improperly applied cast, following which her arm had to be amputated. Her parents, who are daily wage workers, could not afford her follow up treatment. Even after several months, the Health department failed to reach out to the family offering rehabilitation.

Vinodini sank into depression, refusing to go to school because she no longer had her right arm to write or draw. Mr. Satheesan, who happened to see the television images of the lonesome little girl spending her days within four walls, acted immediately. He reached out to the family, made all arrangements for the young girl to be taken to a private hospital in Kochi and by February, she was fitted with a prosthetic arm.

Vinodini started smiling and painting — her favourite hobby — once again and soon she returned to school too. Her family always expressed their eternal gratitude to Mr. Satheesan, for they had ceased to believe that politicians ever delivered on their promises.

On Monday, Vinodini came bearing flowers for Mr. Satheesan, who had stepped in for her, when the State did not. It was a poignant moment well-captured by television channels when she extended her arms and offered the bouquet to the Chief Minister

Published – May 18, 2026 09:43 pm IST