People's Democracy

Mass Organisations Join Relief Effort

VARIOUS mass organisations have not only condoled the deaths caused by tsunami devastation but have plunged into relief work, both by collecting relief funds and doing actual relief work among the affected. 

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in a statement issued on December 29 called upon the working class of the nation to rise to the occasion in this hour of national disaster. It stated that the sufferings of the survivors are unimaginable as they have to encounter apart from post-devastation trauma and physical after- effects, the severe economic miseries as well. The victims are mainly the poor people residing in the coastal belt and a large segment among them were toiling fishermen. 

The CITU appealed to the working people all over the country to express total solidarity with the Tsunami affected people and lend a helping hand in the rescue and relief operations, by contributing generously towards their rehabilitation. It urged all its unions to organise collection of funds for providing relief to the victims on urgent basis and send the same to CITU centre at the earliest. The remittances must be sent to the CITU centre by way of Demand Draft drawn in favour of “CITU TSUNAMI VICTIMS’ RELIEF FUND”, at the earliest. 

Meanwhile, the CITU centre has given Rs 1 lakh each to Andaman and Tamilnadu state committees and Rs 50,000 each to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh state committees for immediate relief work.

The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) expressed its severe grief at the tragic loss of life due to the Tsunami which struck India and many of the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean in the morning of December 26th.   

In a statement issued on December 27, the AIDWA called upon its state units to undertake a massive fund collection drive in all areas immediately as a priority task. “Considering the magnitude of the disaster, and its long-term implications, all sections have to unite in an endeavour to support the thousands who have been tragically affected by nature’s fury”, it stated.

The AIDWA exhorted the central and state governments to expedite relief measures on a war footing to provide immediate succour to the suffering.

Similarly, the AIKS, AIAWU, DYFI and SFI have while condoling the deaths, called upon respective sections of people to rally unitedly in meeting this adversity.

 
WE call on the government to ensure that help reaches those who need it most and also on our units in Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Kerala, to do all they can to help the victims.

We also call on our units all over the country to help these state units meet the need of the time. The West Bengal AIKS has already sent Rs.2 lakh, which will be sent to these states immediately. 
(INN)