subject: Flood relief - state of action in UP and interest / instructions from Chief Minister [print this page] Flood relief - state of action in UP and interest / instructions from Chief Minister
The State of Uttar Pradesh this year,as inPunjab and Haryana, (and like Biharin previous year) had to face an unprecedented flood fury. More than 4000 villages were affected by the floodswhile crops worth crores of rupeesgot destroyed. The situation did not attract TV channel reporters- who were at the relevamt time occupied in seeing and showing the drowning of Delhi the crown city- yet the scars that are left even today in the villages within the district of Kanpur Nagar are quite visible. Flood stricken people in villages, were provided adequate governmental relief- as I could find out from first-person accounts of those affected in villages like Banipurwa, Durgapurwa and Singhpur in Katra Khyuori area . The list of relief efforts and assistance included almost everything that needs to be provided in such a situation,including (a) timely communication of information about increase in water level, assisting in efficient evacuation of cattle and people,(b) arrangement of temporary hutments for dwelling of families(c) freesupply of food and provisions fo them on a constant basis for over a month - just to list the basics.
The adequacy of relief cited by the victims of calamity (that surpassed a record of last 50 years), provided by the normally non-active state machinery must have something to do with the percieved intent,interest taken instructions passed on by theperson in power. And she must be credited with clarity of objective she hadin case of this unpreceedented calamity-. The objective of this write-up is not to praise the apparently dictatorial style of her functioning but to mention and appreciate the efficacy of her governance at least on one occasion of grave and sudden human deprivation. More so when her demand for central assistance for flood relief, is still pending with the Prime Minister, to the extent I know, for the reasons not very apparent, while other states as also a neighbour country have been the benefeciaries of Prime Ministerial generousity. She is reported to have personally, along with her second-in-command S C Mishra, met the PM with this demand but to no avail so far.
An asssumption that this was done with votes /vote bank concept in her mind. Eventhen it has been for a good cause- helping the distressed poor humsnity
.
One would be delighted if she is counselled that to win, neither an aggression nor arrogance is necessary- mere assertion of basic relevant and just fundamentals is more helpful. Indeed, great things can be obtained by being calm and positively proactive. An apparently weak attitude may sometimes really be a strong point- a harbinger of arrival of great success through the route of non-opposition.
Even if Bahujan Samaj Party's transition to social engineering from its strength-build-up- days (read years) of "Tilak Taraajoo and Talwar Inko Maro Joote Char", may have been just a vote-bank manipulating drive/device, adoption of a lesser-partisan approach has resulted into appreciable dividends for the party and more so for its Supremo.
As a writer, one tends to appreciate, objectivity in any event-reportage. So in (a) the references to the happenings as they would have in fact occurred, (b) analytics of underlying causes to which the tragedy can be attributed or the appreciation of human endeavour that may have contributed to pleasantness or welfare of people involved whatsoever the case be. and (c) the drawing of situational conclusions from the episode : one would expect the appeal of truthfulness, and not the partisan approach, evasiveness or diplomacy. Leavethatto emanate from the people who have vested interests and therefore carry a feeling of attachment tosome particular person or party or performing personae, and not to the performance itself
