The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Aid to victims

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Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Aid to victims

Sir, — Aid for tsunami victims is pouring in from everywhere but it is not reaching the needy. Groups of volunteers with relief material visit the affected villages but not the affected people who are relocated in the near-by villages.

Only a few aid agencies contact either the village president or NGOs working in the village and ensure that their material is in safe hands. The Government should take the help of NGOs working in the field to collect the material from donors, store it and distribute it among the needy.

S. Muthukkumar, T. Pradeepkumar & M. Sasidharan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The article, "For a long-term solution" (Jan. 6) has highlighted the need to evolve a housing programme that is acceptable to the affected fisherfolk. It is true that their work will be disrupted if they are moved away from the sea. But it is not prudent to resettle them within the high-tide zone either. A compromise solution must be found.

K.S. Thampi,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The photograph of a Sentinel tribal aiming his arrow at a Coast Guard helicopter (Jan. 6) is symbolic of how we reacted to the offer of foreign aid, post-tsunami. A lot was said about how resourceful we were and how great our competence to deal with disaster was. We even despatched aid to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. We take pride in turning down offers of help but expect our neighbours to accept help when we offer it to them. It is nothing surprising, because we are the ones who preach universal brotherhood but practise untouchability at home.

Ravee Nerur,
Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — The tsunami has taught us a lesson or two. It has proved that adversity does not differentiate between the rich and the poor, men and women, tourists and locals and so on. When nature does not have any respect for the `divisions' in society, or for that matter, for the egos of nation states, is it not time we realised the degree of our interdependence and the need to coexist harmoniously?

Anusha Singh,
New Delhi

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