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Tsunami and Indian Print Media


Sumir Sharma

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The Western Media is covering the Tsunami attack on Asia. They are doing a perfect job.

It will be in the right order of things, that the world, which has come out with their full might and as they have those resources and technologies which are required on the ground, should also learn and listen to the people who are actually suffering. The best way is to seek information from the Asian sources. The people there could not reach the western media. It is an opinion that the local media could highlight their plight, their sorrows and their requirements in a manner in which they demand.

The following are some of the Print Media which could be the source of information as viewed above.

National Level Newspapers:

www.timesofindia.com

www.hindustantimes.com

www.hindu.com

This group of publication is from south India.

www.tribuneindia.com

http://in.indiatimes.com/

http://www.expressindia.com/

www.tribuneindia.com

A totally South India based leading group: www.manoramaonline.com

A Government of India site

www.nic.in

This site will provide the government of India information. It includes the activities of the different ministries and the various government institutions and associations. It is the right site for learning about the policies of the Indian government. It also includes the Parliamentary reports and proceedings.

The Primitive Tribes of Anadaman and Nicobar Island:

The world should also take note of the five primitive tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Island which was more near to the underground earthquake. These tribes are The Great Andamanese, ONGE, JARAWAS, SENTENELESE and SHOMPENS

The Sentenlese, a Negroid tribe, had resist all the efforts of the Indian government since long. The Indian Anthropologists are of the view that they have traditional ways of surviving such holocausts.

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Dear John,

I desire to direct your attention to a report at link (thread): http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/973923.cms.

The government of India has not declined the offer. Rather, it has sought to seek it when it would be required if needed. I think that it is quite fair.

Secondly, India has an unwritten but holy policy of not asking for aid during emergencies which is result of her past experiences.

It is not that India is self-sufficient (In present world economic scenario, such a concept of Self-sufficiency is redundant). It is still a poor country but with enough strength to stand up again but for that it needs help at different levels. The country does not have the proverbial Roosevelt’s Chicken in every bowl (many Indians are strict vegetarian). The literacy rate is only 53 percent. Similarly there are nearly about forty percent below poverty line. (The exact economic data may differ from the ratios which I have given but I am sure that my figures are near to the actual data). The infrastructure required much improvement. I am not able to access the forum and place my views for which I have desire and need only because electricity supply in my state is very erratic. The plus points are that India is now showing 6% + GDP growth every year for last five years. There is 8 billion $ investment by FII this year though it is quite low as compared to what they have invested in China.

However, India is pro-active. The Ministry of science and technology has already placed an order for DART, an early warning system for Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. It was fascinating to learn that the Pacific Region organization which could have helped saving many lives, remained confined to sending information to Diego Garcia which keeps eye on Geo-political activities in Indian Ocean. It is situated nearer to Maldives which had suffered badly. They just showed the lack of imagination when they showed their helplessness because they did not know whom to contact at that time. It is said that they had three hours to do that.

The Indian government has already thought of sensitizing the people at school level. It was found that only one education board on High level schooling that ICSE had information on Tsunami. Most of Christian Missionaries schools are affiliated to this board. Most of the schools are affiliated to CBSE.

There are other similar natural calamities looming above with ominous portents. On such impending calamity can be blockade on Preechu River. The Preechu River is a tributary of Satluj River. The Preechu River in China border could cause great havoc to states which are riparian states along the banks of River Satluj. It is an estimate of experts if the Preechu River busts then nearly 50 odd human settlements between Preechu confluence with Satluj and Gobind Sagar Dam could perish in flash flood. In such eventuality, the water body would just be like another Tsunami.

There are similar warnings by the experts concerning the earthquakes are the north India is situated on the contact point of Gondwana plate with Arkans Plate or the Indian Plate with the Asian plate which is cause of the origin of Himalayas.

Yes, the western world could feel amazed to some extend. They could be surprised that when your are in difficulty and some good friends are offering you help out of human consideration, then what type values and virtues are forcing you to decline that offer. You may be capable enough to face a crisis but crisis is a crisis. The type of tragedy which South Asian countries had suffered, pained the human heart whole over the world. I do not have the answer to that objection.

I was surprised to read that the Indian government has conveyed to the international community that it doesn’t require assistance and has sent its ships and supplies to help Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and pledged $27m to help those countries.

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I was surprised to read that the Indian government has conveyed to the international community that it doesn’t require assistance and has sent its ships and supplies to help Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and pledged $27m to help those countries.

I will like to direct your attention to the All Party Conference held by the Indian Government. Some major decisions were taken which related to the crisis management in India and all the Tsunami crisis.

I give below the statement of the Defence Minister of India on the policy of the Indian Government on accepting the aid from the international brotherhood. I quote

“On the acceptance of foreign aid, the Defence Minister said the Prime Minister had already made it clear that India did not need such assistance at this juncture.”

I quote the Home Minister of India:

“The Home Minister said India would be “part and parcel” of all international efforts towards putting in place an early warning system and the government had already appointed a committee to suggest the best technology for such a system.”

The full report is available at the following link:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050110/main1.htm

It is evident in the report that how India is coping with the problem and what is her overall policy.

Regards

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