Re: [Appeal] Urgent: Earthquake relief

From the Bhakti List Archives

• January 30, 2001


Dear Bhakthas,

The response of the members of the bhakthi list  to the earthquake clamity 
in India is encouraging. The details of the earthquake havoc – even as they 
unfold on a daily basis- are truly heart wrecking. The total human lives 
lost in the calamity is estimated to touch (according to defence minister 
George Fernandez) one lac. Can anything be more ghastly than the news of two 
buildings on either side of the road crushing to death 400 children (in 
their teens) and 50 teachers who were doing a Republic Day march in the 
streets, & an entire town wiped out from the map of India with the survivors 
not knowing where to go after things settle down.

There were appeals in the list for 1) financial contributions, & 2) Going to 
the quake hit area. The latter can be avoided, since there are enough number 
of people at the quake hit site and additional volunteers will only 
complicate the situation for the local authorities. The UNICEF site has 
listed the deails of items required for the quake hit victims. More 
importantly, I shudder to think of the fate of the millions of orphaned 
children as also the widowed young ladies who would have nowhere to go to.

As regards donations, while I would have nothing against UNICEF, I feel that 
it may be in the fitness of things to send these donations through a 
srivaishnava representative, or through an organization representative of 
the srivaishnavas,to the Prime MinisterÂ’s National relief fund. The response 
from the whole of the country (why even Pakistan) has been quite 
encouraging. Organisations such as Ramakrishna Mission, Adiparashakthi 
Peetam, RSS etc – amongst others - have been sending their volunteers direct 
to these areas to administer relief work. IT IS HIGH TIME THE SRIVAISHNAVA 
COMMUNITY HAD A SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATION (REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE 
COMMUNITY) ON THE LINES OF THE ORGANISATIONS LISTED ABOVE. CAN I APPEAL TO 
SRIMAN. VELUKUDI KRISHNAN (THROUGH THE BHAKTHI COLUMNS) TO GALVANISE HIS 
NAMMALWAR FOUNDATION ON THE ABOVE LINES.

Adiyen,

K.Lakshminarayan
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>From: elayavalli@hotmail.com
>To: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Appeal] Urgent: Earthquake relief
>Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 18:37:37 -0000
>
>Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha:
>
>Dear Group
>
>Sri Velukkudi Swami, in his Upanyasam yesterday, brought out the
>importance of helping all those in need. He also mentioned the need
>for supporting all those affected by the earthquake in Gujarat last
>week.
>
>This is the time when we as a community come together to the support
>of all those suffering from this tragic event.
>
>Please follow the link and make your donation to UNICEF's India
>Earthquake relief effort (This site accepts Credit Cards). You may
>also contribute to other operatoins that UNICEF has undertaken, such
>as El Salvador Earthquake.
>
>http://www.unicefusa.org/alert/emergency/indiaeq/
>
>Adiyen
>
>Venkatesh Elayavilli
>http://www.srivaishnava.org
>
>
>
>
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