Cherumulayil Mary, aka ‘Mary Jackhammer’, who earned the epithet for her prowess in operating heavy equipment during the construction of the Moolamattom powerhouse in Idukki is no more. She was 90.
Mary, a resident of Moolamattom, came to be known as ‘Jack Hammer Mary’ for her contribution to the construction of the Moolamattom power plant.
According to her family members, Mary arrived at Moolamattom from Ponmudy in 1962 to join the construction works of the power plant. During construction, when workers struggled to install a transformer for the first phase of the project by crushing rocks, Mary persevered.
Mary single-handedly crushed the rocks using a jackhammer, which paved the way for the installation of the transformer. The late D. Babu Paul, coordinator of the Idukki hydroelectric project at that time, who witnessed the event, bestowed her the name ‘Mary Jackhammer’, says a family member.
Her son Biju C.P. says his mother often reminisced about the days working on the project. “My mother was involved in every aspect of the Idukki hydro-electric project. She fearlessly took on challenges and operated the jackhammer without any assistance.”
“Her efforts earned her a daily wage of ₹3 while the others received ₹1.15,” says Mr. Biju
He says his mother worked there from 1967 until the commissioning of the power plant’s second phase in 1985. “My mother exemplified courage throughout her life,” he says.
K.S. Vinod, president of the Arakkulam panchayat, says people in the village were more familiar with the name Jack Hammer than Mary. “Whenever someone enquired about Mary, people used to refer her as Jack Hammer,” says Mr. Vinod.
However, despite participating in the project, Mary and her family were allegedly excluded from job opportunities provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board, say her relatives.
Mary’s husband Paily predeceased her. The funeral was held at Ernakulam St. Mary’s Puthen Church on Tuesday.
