People's Democracy

Party Sends Out Relief Materials

To The Tsunami-Hit People

B Prasant

THE Bengal state unit of the CPI(M) has swung into organising relief for the tsunami-affected people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands very soon after the natural disaster struck the islands.

Calling the relief work a political task for the CPI(M) at hand, Party state secretary Anil Biswas affirmed that should the CPI(M) be able to reach out relief to at least one per cent of the distressed people, it would consider the effort worthwhile. He also pointed out how with great fervour had the people of Bengal – men, women and children – came forward in extending whatever help they could, in cash or in kind in aid of the distressed people. 

Earlier, too, as in the case of Gujarat earthquake, the people of Bengal have strained in sympathy. However, this time around, the response has been simply magnificent in its generosity.  The state unit of the CPI(M) expressed its gratitude to the people for the deep involvement they have evinced in relief work.

Biswas who walked along the lanes and by lanes of Entally in central-east Kolkata was very impressed with the spontaneous response of the people to the call for help by the CPI(M).

As soon as the first news of the tsunami disaster was known, the state secretariat of Bengal CPI(M), pointed out Biswas, had called upon the people in general and the Party Members, supporters and sympathisers of the CPI(M), in particular, to collect subscriptions and relief materials.

The CPI(M) and the different mass organisations including CITU, the Kisan Sabha, the AIDWA, the DYFI, the SFI and the People’s Relief Committee (PRC) were soon engaged in the collection of funds and relief materials and sending them out to the Andamans in particular.  Daily Ganashakti set up a relief fund and gave a call for donations to the fund.

The state unit has sent Rs 3 lakh to the Andaman and Nicobar organising committee; it has also sent Rs 5 lakh to Tamil Nadu state committee of the CPI(M). 

It has sent two CPI(M) MP’s, Nikhilananda Sar and Dr Ramchandra Dom to Tamil Nadu along with a team of four experienced doctors.

Gautam Deb, state secretariat member of the CPI(M) and PHE & Housing minister in the Bengal Left Front government has led and organised the relief work in the Andaman and Nicobar islands from December 28 and January 3. 

Deb has come back and Kanti Ganguly, Sunderbans development minister in the Left Front government has been sent out in his place.

As per advice received from them, a wide array of relief materials has been forwarded to the islands. Annexure I details out the list of materials sent, and the concerned expenditure.  In all, relief materials worth Rs 28 lakh have been sent out.  Another Rs 15 lakh worth relief materials have been collected for sending out to Tamil Nadu over January 10-12.

The medicines sent out by the PRC, it is to be noted, were the first to reach the distressed people of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  The CPI(M) is also running several relief camps in the islands. Experienced CPI(M) volunteers with physical stamina and cooking skills have been sent to the islands.

Party workers engaged in the civil aviation and shipping trade unions are engaged in the task of sending out material to the islands by air and by ship, and this is being done on an emergency basis.

It is to be noted that the relief work organised by the CPI(M) is being conducted in parallel with that mounted by the Bengal Left Front government. The state government has sent out relief materials worth Rs 1 crore and 96 lakh and the help has already reached the affected people of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

A control room has been opened at the Muzaffar Ahmed Bhavan to coordinate sending out of relief materials and from there relief material as they come in are never allowed to accumulate but are quickly sent out for being reached out to the distressed people for distribution. (The phone number of the Relief Room is 033-22176633.)

The two members of parliament, Nikhilananda Sar, and Dr Ramchandra Dom, accompanied by four doctors reached Chennai on December 29. 

Working in cooperation of the Tamil Nadu state committee of the CPI(M), the team has visited a series of villages along the coastal line of the Chengalpattam district.

According to the report they communicated, the area faced total destruction and the civil structure of the adjacent Kalpakkam Atomic Power plant faces severe damage. Three scientists of the plant have been killed in the tsunami disaster, it is learnt.

The administration of the Power Plant has been engaged in relief work. After meeting with the administration of the Plant, the two CPI(M) MP’s informed the people of the locality that there was no chance of radiation from the damage that the plant sustained.

According to reports received from them, relief work is inadequate and relief materials are insufficient.

The two CPI(M) MP’s visited the marina beach area of Chennai where port workers and fishing folk were hit by the tsunami.

They met with the chief minister of Pondicherry and discussed relief arrangements for the fishing folk’s villages.

Both the MPs have since returned but the team of doctors is still engaged in strenuous relief work. Anil Biswas pointed out that relief support would continue as long as the distressed people are in need of assistance. 

ANNEXURE I