by a Thinker, Sailor, Blogger, Irreverent Guy from Madras

Hi Prime Minister, after ‘THANE’, time to care


With all the reports coming in about destruction by the Tropical Cyclone Thane (crass to mention my post earlier on probable havoc, but - Hey!  This is what Life and Blogging is all about - not to mention the monkeyshine nutworks ‘byline’, which is “now why didn’t you think of it?”) I decided to take a personal (short) in-and-out, whizz-zoom-thank-you trip into the affected areas.

Now, I am only a trained (several years back) manager of ship-borne emergencies, whether onboard and (later) sitting on shore, but suffice to say that the Tropical Cyclone Thane has wrecked real havoc in Pondicherry and in the Cuddalore and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu, which was known.

Seeing the destruction, I am actually angry and frustrated.  Seeing and hearing of Overhead Water Tanks blown off, damage due to uprooted trees and windows or even roofs blown out is saddening.
Even worse is the plight of the farmers and agriculturists, cultivators who’d grown Cashew, etc., whose produce and whole trees by scores have been uprooted.

Angry that the the Union Government under you has not seen it fit as of now to mobile Central Forces (meaning the Indian Army) to actively engage in relief operations.

It is sickening, while I, sitting down in the comfort of my home can foresee extensive damage and havoc (though I missed the Cashew), You and your exalted Ministers cannot do so or act when it comes true.

Can you imagine people in apartment complexes or multi stories builingds are even today paying unscrupulous operators wrenching Rs. 1000/- to pump water from ‘their’ wells to their overhead tanks?

Or people are forced to charge their mobile phones for Rs. 50/- per charge to keep in touch?

It is pathetic Prime Minister to talk of how Euro crisis will affect us, or that Chinese are overtaking us in R&D, when an actual Disaster has struck in our middle and nothing is being done by the idling Central forces.

Move your ass and kick the ass of your Ministers, PM, for a show of central might now is not only good for your party, but would also tell the people of TN what good governance and the might of Central Government can do.  After the fiasco of IPKF or the Governor’s rule under Dr. P.C. Alexander, for too long now, the people of TN haven’t known the ‘hand’ of Centre.

It should have been done 5 days back, or at least after the cyclone hit.  That neither has been done just proves that you have a governing cabinet of Ministers who talk big with lawyer-speak, but can’t come up with any bang, when a crisis strikes!

Do it now!
You will earn our eternal Thanks!

I just jumped on when a neighbour was assigned to visit his corporate interests in the areas and assess the impact on their production, in my night clothes, without my mobile and hence there are no photos to accompany (or at least the ones which I can use without disclosing proprietary information).  BTW I was so overwhelmed when I came back, I actually snapped at a good friend when he asked my assistance regarding a PC problem.

Even now, I feel frustrated while having my dinner, while people are still suffering and in shock.
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update : 11 Jan 2011.  This post is a Tangy Tuesday Pick (10 Jan) on BlogAdda

PS:  I urge you to read Chronicles of an Unknown Indian travails of relief efforts by an NGO - another Tangy Tuesday pick.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Mad Madrasi ( now why did I assume that you must be female? Men also write well :0 !)You know what is worrying me is the way the government in TN has created dependencies among people. The moment you enter a village people chase you with their ration cards! Everyone who has a ration card gets a compensation of Rs 5000 for a complete house damage and Rs 2500 for a partial damage! The government is not actually surveying any damage- everyone who lives in a village gets it!! I am sure if I had a Cuddalore address on my ration card I could have also claimed some amount! One of my colleagues tells me that next time it rains people will demand compensation!! When you see something like this think of those who really need the relief.. how much more they could have got had these others not been provided with something? People fight with us when we go for relief distribution -so we have to spend time to convince them. Some get convinced while others curse ! The sad thing is that they do not understand that what we are spending is not government money - that is money donated by citizens who want to help out. How will we explain to a person who has donated his hard earned money that everyone wants releif? BTW Pondicherry is worse than Tamil Nadu.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @ Meera - Ouch! Was that (men writing well) a blow below the belt? /just joking, no problem/ Truthfully, that left handed compliment is the nicest anyone ever told me of my blog.

    Society watchers and social pundits have long been warning that the 'freebie' culture dangerous. Unfortunately every successive administration in TN have paid scant heed; unless you can call the renaming of 'freebies' as 'cost-less' by Amma, as a sign that this administration is listening.
    :-D
    If you are a Chennaiite (just checked ur profile - yup u are) you must remember the stampede and deaths during last J.J. administration while distributing *rain-relief* in Chennai!

    Someone quipped to me a few months back. TN, he said, has become the most socialistic state in the Union. He was speaking about the plight of textile/dyeing units in Erode/Tirupur and how the mill owning fat cats, after earning obscene amount of profits over years, now want the Govt. to put in and run the discharge purification plants, as ordered by the court.

    I am more worried when (if) the predicted real estate crash happens. Caught between the freebie and TASMAC culture, TN is in for a tough time.

    ReplyDelete

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