The moves to assist the victim of natural catastrophe is well recieved . Such moves given the colossal magnitude of the damage to life and property will definitely receive the support it deserves.
This writer has been discussing this issue of assistance for the past couple of days with several good samaritans and they believe firmly that their mite in cash or kind should go directly to those whom such assistance is intended. Many also do not suscribe to the idea of compulsory deductions of a certain amount from their salaries or a days wages as they argue that in their individual capacities as members of other organisations too collectively they may end up contributing more then they intend. Further in the opinion of several persons that this writer has interacted with they state that the Gujarat Earthquake relief fund collected from donors almost for a whole year round by the previous Government at the Centre and the State Government was distributed according to political, caste, affiliations and economic profile of the victims. Far worse the amount collected from caste /community based institutions were demanded to be given only to like caste/community and none other. This was the human irony even in such natural tragedies. These were bitter experiences of those that contributed in cash or kind in the fervent hope that the poor amongst the poorest or the truly needy who have lost kith kin or were orphaned or their roof or economic holdings lost and in despair should deserve priority. Take yet another case of Latur (in Maharashtra) earthquake, they say it was the same formula and to prove the point there was an instance where this writer himself learnt of a Headmaster of a prominent school in South Goa hailing from Latur (the Constituency of the present Union Home Minister Mr Shivraj Patil of the Indian National Congress Party ) who while in Goa recieved large donations as an earthquake victim enough to rebuild a bungalow. Unfortunately he too faded away a year after occupying the same post retirement. Yet another shocking instance was in Orissa floods where the non Brahmins were made to atone for their sins by offering prayers to the Brahmins (who in India have others believe that they are incarnates of God Almighty on Earth and other lower castes must pay obeisance to them and succumb to their dicatates right or wrong ) as the Brahmins held their sins responsible for Gods wrath (cyclone and floods) on humankind. How can one expect the donations to reach such persons if they are blamed for the tragedy. There have been instances where the district administration has been lethargic when it comes to people of a certain low caste being affected. Unlike Goa where the Primeiro Bairro around the Churches or Baixo areas near the coastline are invariably are inhabited by the upper and lower caste, in places elsewhere in India this caste and religion based community wise habitation is predominant and water tight. For a low caste to drink from a well of the upercaste is a mortal sin. Or the shadow of the lower caste following on an upper caste is still practiced in several states in India . Little wonder then how these donations suffer. And in such a situation where caste and communal configurations are predominant in the Indian psyche and where merit is by birth rather than ones worth, and the Dravidian states follow this in letter and spirit there is a demand that this time there should be caution excercised in both the collection and distribution of donations. They also state that the numbers of dead or missing or the damage to property are inflated by respective governments in power only to extract their pound of flesh (money ) from the Centre in the name of natural calamity and siphon it either to party coffers or for political or individual purposes. Unfortunately due to rapid decompositon of bodies the mass cremations and burials necessitated to avoid an epidemic there is no recorded evidence of the persons actually killed and it may take some time for realisation to dawn on the near accurate figure of those dead or missing. The unrecorded deaths and missing persons could throw up a legal fiction depriving the needy of funds. Therefore rather than leave the Government and the bureaucracy to distribute the funds they suggest a s safe way out. Let the list of those dead missing and their dependants besides personal property both immovable and movable for each ward down in a Village Panachayat Municipality or Corporation be put up by the Government authorities. The Circle Inspectors the Aval Karkums and Mamlatdar are competent to make out these lists ward and Saza wise . Once this data is ratified by the local District Magistrate/Collector then the donors could be given the lists of each ward in a Village Panchayat Municipality or Municipal Corporation consisting of and the donors could directly distribute the amount to the donee by opening savings or bank accounts or fixed deposit accounts (where there are minors /including orphans )with joint holders Expecting the political party in the ruling party or out of power in the Opposition to distribute is far fetched and would result in corruption. This ward lists of affected persons could be put up on the state websites for the perusal of donor. It is for the donors to act according to these observations. GODFREY J I GONSALVES Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED]
