Bihar Floods

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Bihar Floods
Since the last one week I am following the newspaper for articles and letters to the editor and to my shock not one person has mentioned anything regarding the floods in Bihar. Even though the Prime Minister of the country has declared it as a national calamity, no one has bothered to help.

Is this only for the state of Bihar to deal with this crisis? Isn't it a solemn duty of each Indian, living in other states to contribute relief and aid in cash or kind to the flood victims? Instead of publishing heart wrenching photographs of helpless people being a victim of the floods, why not request the citizens of India to donate - food grains, clothes and medicines.

When we were in school, I remember our teachers would request each one of us to bring in a kg of rice, clothes, blankets and medicines that could come in handy to the flood, earthquake or draught victims.

God forbid, tomorrow a similar flood situation occurs in Andhra Pradesh, will the people merely sit there or get up and act? Why do we have to wait for something to happen to us personally before we act up on. It is highly shameful on the part of Indian citizens to not realise this.

Published in Deccan Chronicle, Visakhapatnam edition, on September 5, 2008.