The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Help and contributions pour in from all quarters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Help and contributions pour in from all quarters

By Our Special Correspondent

The MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, handing over his party's contribution to the relief fund for the tsunami victims.

CHENNAI, DEC. 27. Even as the State Government and the Centre face the challenge of providing relief to the tsunami victims, political parties, trade unions, non-governmental outfits, educational institutions and philanthropists have come forward to extend a helping hand. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary, Vaiko, today donated Rs.10 lakhs towards the rescue, relief and rehabilitation works.

Mr. Vaiko, who handed over the cheque to the Chief Secretary, Lakshmi Pranesh, told reporters at the Secretariat that the MDMK activists would play an active role in the relief operations. They would also donate blood. He handed over Rs.10, 000 contributed by the Tamil writers in Malaysia.

After visiting some of the tsunami-hit areas in Chennai city, he said that it was unfortunate that even after the first tremor and the seismic waves, the State Government had not taken any preventive measures to save those in the coastal villages. "There is no use in the Chief Minister making an aerial survey. It only delayed the relief." Mr. Vaiko said that he had telephoned the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on Sunday and appealed to him to extend assistance to the affected families in the State.

The State unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) urged the Centre to declare the disaster as a national calamity. It called upon the Central and State Governments to expedite relief works.

The State CITU general secretary, A. Soundararajan, said that workers should donate their one-day salary to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF). The CITU unions in the transport and power sectors had submitted letters to the managements asking them to deduct the January 1, 2005 salary of their members.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Anna University, E.Balagurusamy, has sent letters to the principals of affiliated colleges to mobilise funds for the CMPRF from the management and staff. "Every such adversity should create an opportunity for people to help others under such tearful and tragic conditions."

The general secretary of the Sivananda Orphanage, S.Rajaram, has informed Dr. Singh that "it is prepared to adopt any child of any age group in the country if the Government or district administrations are able to identify such children who are orphaned due to the calamity."

The Art of Living Foundation said in a release that over 200 of its volunteers were involved in collection and distribution of relief material. It hoped to mobilise 5000 people to contribute to the relief activities.

The chairman of the E. S. Educational Charities in Villupuram, E.Swamikannu, has donated Rs.5. lakhs for the CMPRF towards the rehabilitation of fishermen in the State.

The general secretary of the Shastri Bhavan Central Government Employees' Coordination Committee, A.Bhaskar, said in a statement here that the organisation had decided to write to the Prime Minister to deduct a day's salary from the Central Government employees. The committee also decided to collect clothes for those affected.

The president of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Union, K.Balasubramanian, asked the Chief Minister to deduct a day's salary of the employees. The Office-bearers of the Tamizhaga Aasiriyar Kootani including V.N.Kalichamy (president) and V.Annamalai (general secretary) also made a similar request.

The coordinator of the Federation of Hindu Organisations, V.Murali, urged the Government to raise the relief for the kin of each of the deceased to Rs.5 lakhs.

The Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, donated Rs.25, 000 towards the CMPRF. He conveyed his deep sympathies to the members of the bereaved families.

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