Amid the deluge, flow tales of compassion Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 11 In the midst of commotion caused by nature’s fury are stories of compassion and selflessness in the Kashmir valley. Working professionals, students and businessmen of Kashmiri origin worldwide have got together to try to help people back home. Many non-Kashmiris are working with zeal as well. A student in Bengaluru, Adil hails from Kulgam in south Kashmir. He is among the first to organise a coordinated effort to save people back home. On hearing about floods, he contacted his friends in Kashmir. He simultaneously organised a Facebook and Twitter campaign, seeking whereabouts of the people trapped. He compiled a list of people affected and contacted the Punjab branch of the National Disaster Management Force (NDRF), which directed him to contact the Delhi office, Adil said. “On the first day, I was able to give information about the location of about 30 families to the NDRF and the Army,” Adil said. He said they received around 2,000 calls per day since September 8. He added that he prepared sheets with addresses of people trapped and forwarded those to the NDRF and the Army. Adil said, “My family is untraceable and I do not know where they are. That does not deter me from working.” He was constantly updating his Facebook page and giving people hope.Shifting their focus to relief, they had already collected 450 blankets, 150 life jackets and some stock of medicines, which had been sent to Srinagar. Many other Kashmiris are actively involved in rescue and relief work. The Kashmiri volunteers in Delhi is one such group. It dispatched boats, tents, life jackets, medicines, baby food, chlorine tablets and about 5,000 litres of water. Faheem Shah of Lex Alliance Delhi, a legal firm, raised money, particularly for people in camps. Sana Sultan and many expatriate Kashmiris had been instrumental in raising money for flood victims in London. Sana said, “We have raised about 10,000 pounds via gofundme.uk.” The official Facebook and Twitter pages of the Army had been drawing a huge following. The Army was regularly updating the pages and providing information about people who had been rescued. Leading the way Adil of Kulgam, studying in Bengaluru, organises Facebook & Twitter campaign, compiles list of people affected, gives information about locations Faheem Shah of Lex Alliance Delhi raises money, particularly for people now putting up in camps Sana Sultan and other expatriates based in London raise about 10,000 pounds for flood victims Army regularly updating Facebook and Twitter pages to provide information about people rescued
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 17:09:57 +0000
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