Dear All,

It may sound odd but if you dirty your hands in relief operations, you will relegate the real problem of floods in the state to background. A very good relief program generates the demand of the same at other places. It gives a satisfaction of helping people and encourages one to repeat the process at other places and north Bihar has no dearth of such places. But more than that it blunts your thinking process and one tends to repeat the same year after year. I have personally run many relief programs and I can say this on the strength of my experience.

Helping people and exanorating the establishment of its responsibilities is what the vested interest in politics are looking for. Don't become a tool in their hands.

If you can't think of long term, think of medium term, at least. I fully appreciate that the resources are generated by telling harrowing tales of a disaster and not for any development program or impacting any policy changes. It is a long drawn process. Whatever you may decide to do, plese keep in mind that the changes would come only through policy intervention.

Dinesh Mishra

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 vagish wrote :
>Dear Friends,
>
>Greetings of Independence day
>
>The fury of devastating flood in Bihar has abated, for this phase at least (Knowledgeable people believe that a few more waves of flood can be expected). Thousands of families are still stranded on the embankments, roads and whereever they can take 'safe' shelter. No need to reiterate that most of these people are the poorest communities with hardly any back up to meet their daily reqiurements even.  The natural aftermath has begun to strike in the form of water borne and other diseases and will continue to haunt for some more time to come - affecting their livelihood and welfare very deeply. Rehabilitation will be a long and arduous task as people say such a flood was unheard of in public memory for last 50 years.
>
>'Mainstream consciousness' does not even seem to remember if Bihar and Assam had a flood. (It happens any way, you know! ) The 'national' media is excited about some more 'exciting' floods in Gujrat, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The PM and Smt. Sonia Gandhi have already visited the flood area. A Central Team has come and gone. All we know is that a bigger demand list was presented to them.
>
>The helicopter sorties are also over, not the misery and need of relief, although. The ravaged people have started demanding their right to live. And at least at three places they are reported to have received bullets - a permamanent  relief, some one said!
>
>However, there are a number of grassroots organisations and individuals who are bravely working among the flood affected people.The developmental agencies are also showing concern. some have rushed help, others are in the process. The problem, however, is that by the time the relief  meant for the first phase of flood reaches it is already the next phase on the ground. Procedure takes toll of the exigency. Then there are criteria of receiving the fund. This has resulted in some areas getting left out completely - Sitamarhi, Khagaria and Saharsa, for example.
>
>In the meanwhile, Shri D P Yadav, a friend of Bihar Chintan,  has made a visit to Munger and Khagaria making an assessment of the relief work and immediate needs. Hemant, another friend of Bihar Chintan, is right now in Sitamarhi with Sufal Jha and other friends documenting the damage. They have informed us that about 1600 families from Chandauli, Olipur and Ramni villages are taking refuse on the remaining 5 km embankment  on river Bagmati in Katonjha near the border of Muzaffarpur. Most of the villages of Belsand, Runi Saidpur and Parsauni blocks are washed away. Almost 25,000 acre of land is under waterlogging. Practically no relief has reached them. Diaorreah and Cholera have also broken out. They urgently need food and 'helogen' tablets to clean water. Hemant and his team is going to Jhanjharpur today in the afternoon.
>
>Last week, there was a meeting of individuals and organisations working among flood affected areas in Bihar at Gandhi Peace Foundation. Convened by Shri Rajgopal and Shri Anupam Mishra this meeting reviewed the situation and issued an appeal for help to a number of organisations.
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>Earlier, the Bihar Chintan team comprising D K Mishra, Kishan Kaljayi, Basant, Vijay Pratap and Vagish K Jha had also been to Bihar to visit flood affected area. The team is back now. We would like to share a quick report on flood with friends of Bihar Chintan .
>
>To consider all these issues and the possible immediate and long term actions, the following meeting has been called.
>
>Bihar Chintan Meeting on Flood
>Date: 16th August, 2004 (Monday)
>Venue: Rajendra Bhavan, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg ( opp. Gandhi Peace Foundation)
>Time: 4.30 PM
>
>You are requested to participate and invite all those whome you think fit.
>
>With Warm Regards,
>
>Vagish K. Jha
>Bihar Chintan
>
>Bihar Chintan is an informal group of people concerned about marginalised and neglected people. You are welcome to join us.
>