Letter to Congress Workers

Dear friends,

May I begin by wishing you all a very happy 2005. Yet even as I greet you all, my heart is heavy at the thought of the devastation, havoc and loss of life caused by the Tsunami last month. Our deepest sympathies are with those who have suffered at the hands of this massive natural disaster from the sea. While Indonesia and Sri Lanka bore the main brunt of the Tsunami, India's coastal regions in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and worst of all the islands of Andaman and Nicobar also suffered. The government of India and the Congress Party swung into action immediately and massive and large-scale relief operations were started and are being successfully and competently managed. India also sent help to Sri-Lanka and Maldives.

The process of rehabilitation and rebuilding is still going on and it will take months for things to return to normal. It is amongst the fishing communities of the coastal region that the maximum pain and loss can be seen. Along with losing their families, the survivors have lost all means of livelihood. Thousands of orphans have been created overnight, in need of homes, help and love. Yet disasters such as the Tsunami also bring out the solidarity and kindness that exists in the world. Every nation in the world has offered to help the victims by providing aid and specialized help with rehabilitation programmes. In India too, every body has pitched in to help. NGO's, relief organizations, the army, government administration, and, above all the common citizens of India have donated generously with funds, clothes and food. We want to thank every one for their efforts and appeal to citizens to continue to help with contributions to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

The disaster has also underscored the need for the world to come together in the face of natural disasters. Global warming, environmental damage and the pollution of our rivers and seas are today international issues that cannot be left to any one country. We must all work towards creating a world that is in harmony with nature. We must also look critically at our preparedness to face such disasters. While man is capable of landing rockets on Mars, we have still not learnt enough about how to tackle the fury of nature. Research and development in this sector is a must for the world so that we can be forewarned about such disasters and thereby avert and minimize loss of life. Along with this, we must ensure that India has a first class system to manage all natural disasters irrespective of where they occur. Efforts between the center, the states affected, relief organizations and NGO's involved with relief work must be streamlined. Aid must further be properly targeted so that it reaches those it is meant for immediately and without any pilferage. Hospitals and health facilities must also be prepared to handle the fallout of such disasters. It is only such an integrated approach that will help us in coping quickly and efficiently with such disasters.

Finally, we join the world in condoling the deaths of the one lakh fifty thousand who perished in this great natural calamity.