Andaman&Nicobar Island after tsunami

[Xeno]

Ok I dont feel like starting it all over again but when I said the same thing earlier every one thought I was nuts ,now please read if for yourself and decide.



http://www.deccan.com/Columnists/Column ... i%20relief



New Year tolled in with a terrible tragedy. It was virtually a death knell for thousands of human beings — men, women and children. When nature rebels against human beings, they have no choice but to surrender and succumb. Nature in itself does not discriminate between people in terms of caste, religion, gender and colour. The wrath of nature devours all, irrespective of caste and creed. That is what we witnessed in the tsunami tragedy.



It was probably the biggest human tragedy which our generation has witnessed. Those who are still alive have merely escaped the fury of nature this time. Our hearts should go out to those who lost their loved ones and all their precious savings in the sea surges. But the most unfortunate thing about such tragedies is that the poor and the vulnerable die a double death.



They lose their loved ones and they also lose their livelihood. The poor people who have escaped nature’s fury do not count themselves lucky in any sense. They are going through a bitter struggle for survival. Life has become a major burden for many of them. The well-to-do people who lost their family members may survive somehow, since they have money.



After a period of mourning, they can go back to life. But not so with the poor. They have no money and neither is there any social capital to come to their rescue. </b>The Indian victims of the tsunami are also encountering an additional problem — caste discrimination. Reports of caste considerations sneaking into relief efforts have created shock in the West.</b>



Of course, the big nations of the West, including the United States, also responded slowly to the disaster. It is significant that the US, which expected an outpouring of sympathy after the September 11 attacks in New York, failed to respond sensitively to the deaths of thousands in the tsunami disaster.



But even as the US administration remained impassive, the American civil society responded quite sympathetically and several organisations rushed their teams with various kinds of relief material to the affected areas. The Dalit Freedom Network of America, a group of committed activists, for example, dispatched a team of doctors to Tamil Nadu to provide health care to the poorest of the poor victims.



Nanci Ricks, director of the Dalit Freedom Network, reported on the agency’s website that Indian customs officials and police at the Delhi airport did not make it easy for them to go the affected areas. <b>They demanded $1,800 as “import fee” of the medicine. Only after a big argument did they allow the team to fly to the affected areas.</b>



This type of bureaucratic approach towards initiatives to get relief to poor people is really unfortunate. The Central government and its bureaucrats seem to think that all relief must go through governmental agencies.

At the same time, there are reports that officials are discriminating against fishermen communities that are considered as<b> “untouchables” </b>in their respective areas.



<b>The government agencies, instead of clamping down on such discriminatory practices, allow them to go on like RSS, VHP</b>. That was one reason why organisations such as the Dalit Freedom Network wanted to reach the Dalit victims directly.



There is an increasing feeling among the global philanthropic communities <b>that all kinds of charity work is hampered in India by the institution of caste and religion. </b>



<b>Yes, the practice of caste discrimination in India lies deep and even comes out when natural calamities occur. Upper castes may prefer to die rather than share food with the Dalits. It is unfortunate that even in the times of deep crisis, caste discrimination does not disappear. This feeling continues even after so many years of Independence and the spread of the so-called modern education.</b>



Caste has become a curse on the country’s social fabric. <b>We had witnessed the discriminatory practices in providing relief at the time of the Gujarat earthquake. Now similar reports coming from the tsunami-struck areas indicate that the nation must launch a massive educational campaign on this front.</b>



Maybe we should also attempt to engineer a global debate on the problem. Caste and untouchability should become part of the UN agenda. <b>Let us, as human beings, stand by all the victims of tsunami irrespective of their caste, colour, religion and gender.</b>

[akhilis2cool]

Did neone here ever say charity shd. b done on the basis of caste/religion

[Mayavi Morpheus]

Dalit Freedom Network! ROTFLMAO!!



They must be praising god for providing such a wonderful oppurtunity in theshape of tsunami.



From their website.

Movements among the Dalits to leave the caste system have occurred in the past. Most did not have a lasting effect on the Dalits. Only those areas where the Dalits became part of a new religious community - did the change continue for generations.

They are seeking human dignity by changing faiths.

It has been years since a movement with this much potential for the Christian church has occurred. Please consider how you could be involved with this dynamic network

In this world, everyone has an agenda. If they were really worried about the social status of the dalit community, they would work to improve their economic status and improve their social standing. But no, they are not itnerested in that. They just look at dalits as a potential convert and not as a victim. I dont think I have to tell you the methods they employ to acieve their goal. I experienced it first hand.



But, does changing faith help the dalit in any way? Are they treated more equal after they become christians? is changing faith a good solution? The answer is no. Whether a dalit is called ramuliah or yesupadam, the Indian caste system still discriminates against him. So all this dalit emancipation is a hog wash.