People's Democracy

EDITORIAL 

India-Pak Must Jointly Meet This Tragedy

ONCE again, a massive natural disaster has struck the peoples of the Indian sub-continent. The gigantic earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Ritcher scale with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountains wreaked humongous destruction.  As we go to press, over 80,000 people are reportedly killed in this earthquake.  Additionally, tens of lakhs of people have been displaced and left to survive in the most inhuman of conditions.  The devastation spread across parts of Pakistan, Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), India and Afghanistan.  The major damage took place in PoK.  Its principle town, Muzafarabad is estimated to have seen 70 per cent of its buildings being razed to the ground.  The Aman Setu that linked India with PoK, over which the much welcomed and appreciated bus service ran connecting PoK with India, has been destroyed. 

While the devastation itself is heart-rending, the difficult hilly terrain accompanied by continuous landslides in the aftermath of the earthquake is making relief operations virtually impossible.

Even under normal circumstances, communications and movement across this territory is difficult.  For millions of people, the only way some assistance could be reached is by air dropping food and materials.  Even this may become more difficult with the setting in of inclement weather conditions that normally occur at the onset of winter. 

Under these circumstances, it is heartening to note the widespread international assistance that has spontaneously been offered to help the victims.  Brushing aside all Indo-Pak tensions, the common people from both sides have displayed an admirable human solidarity in meeting this tragedy.  India has promptly sent supplies to Pakistan while taking measures to meet  the disaster within its own borders.  Needless to add, a much larger effort would be required and all appeals for funds, materials and assistance must be honoured by all sections of the Indian people in this hour of crisis. 

Both India and Pakistan must cooperate to the maximum to restore links and facilities between India and PoK to alleviate human misery in a speedier fashion.  This should go beyond the rebuilding of the Aman Setu, which surely will be done. Such Indo-Pak coordination of disaster relief operations will contribute  immensely towards enhancing the mutual confidence building measures between the two countries.

Following the tsunami, the Mumbai floods, this earthquake once again underlines the urgency with which the Indian government must evolve measures and guidelines to meet the consequent challenges.  The national disaster management authority has recently been constituted.  It is imperative that contingency plans must be worked out with adequate backing of resources to meet such disasters  (which mercifully should not recur) in the future.  This is particularly so given the scientific fact of plate tectonics which shows with fair approximation the inexorable northward movement of the Indian plate which is in collision with the Eurasian plate. It is a collision between these two places which created the mighty Himalayas in the first place.  Given the vulnerability of this long stretch of land across the Himalayan foothills, prone to devastating earthquakes, some contingency plans must be undertaken. 

People’s Democracy expresses its heartfelt condolences and grief at the tragic death of such a large number of fellow human beings.  We appeal to all to generously contribute to the relief and rehabilitation efforts.