Four days after the first in a series of major earthquakes struck Nepal, rescue and relief operations have been seen to take precedent over the aftershock of the natural disaster.
People are yet to recover
both mentally and physically from the unexpected and lethal tremors
that have literally reduced almost the entire nation to rubble.
But
help and support are at hand, having come in from all corners of the
globe, in an unending stream of long distance air-flights and road
transport from concerned neighbors.
International Rescue
Operations, Defense Personnel, NGO’s, Charities, Red Cross and the
Red Crescent, individual humanitarian efforts have been intensely
channelized towards succoring a country, now ever so much in need of
it.
Local, Regional and International Volunteers have been pouring
in as well, to help in all possible ways, big or small.
One such
story is that of the village Sankhu, a village that was existent till
before the terror-quake struck insidiously on that fateful Saturday
last, right before noon. Past noon, it was no more, having been
reduced to ashes. With an estimated of 600 innocent inhabitants dying
in its’ wake.
Four days after the decimation, the Sikh community
from the neighboring capital of New Delhi, commenced its’ free open
kitchen to serve all those who survived, and many more.
The Delhi
Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) landed in Sankhu village
with bag, baggage, ration supplies and volunteers, to open its arms
and offer its service to all those in and around- all in the name of
God. For Sikhs, service to fellow humans is service to God, a core
component of their staunch faith.
They open up in the morning,
providing milk, tea and biscuits as refreshment and continue with a
staple of lentils, vegetable stew and rice till late evening, serving
all and sundry continuously.
Having liaised with local supporters,
they intend to continue providing hot meals till the people stagger
safely back to their feet.
Four thousand blankets, tents and LED
lights (each) are on their way from across the border as immediate
quake-aid.
Although the debris still awaits to be cleared and the
corpses still need to be extracted from underneath the crushing
bricks, those alive can count on these samaritans to help them
live.
But the DSGMC is not lone crusader anymore. Individuals from
the capital Kathmandu too have rushed in to extend their support. Mr.
Rajkumar Aggarwal, Mr. Dhillon, Mr. Major Singh, Mr. Sunil Lohia, The
Kashmiri Masjid Fraternity, have all pooled in their resources to aid
in the daily struggle for life in what’s left of this hamlet.
The
French Corps Mondial De Secours arrived two days ago, with 2 Medics,
4 Nurses and Paramedics, but have been left handicap for lack of
their medical supplies that still await clearance through Paris
airport.
Both the French Embassy and the local government have
been unable to help expedite its’ release.
Luckily for them and
the residents, medical supplies have been procured locally by
generous donors as Mr. Ravi Singh, a zealous Sikh from Kathmandu,
instrumental in starting the DSGMC food camp there. He pleads: “….
Each country please adopt a village or area each, for efficient and
serious rebuilding and reconstruction.” Fear of embezzlement and
misappropriation of funds collected for the purpose runs rife; people
doubt the government machinery very much to trust that it would be
rightly and timely channelized.
So all is not lost in this one
village at least, as also that of Khokana in the opposite direction,
having been adopted likewise by the same fraternity.
The Indian
National Defence Relief Force (NDRF) have arrived on spot, under Mr.
Manish Ranjan, all set to remove evidence of that fatal attack and
retrieve bodies of so many loved ones lost.
And the French Corps
have just received their first set of basic supplies. Their work has
finally taken off!
The denizens have not been altogether
abandoned, nor left uncared for, like so many unfortunate others all
over Nepal still awaiting much needed attention. But much still
needs to be done. And many hands make light work.