A wave of indifference

It is a sad thing to say but no matter the magnitude of the disaster our response is always cosmetic. For the first few weeks there will be a rush of VIP visitors, all compassion and concern for the television cameras. And there will be a rush of camera crews and newspaper journalists seeking out every tale of terror or sadness. There will be promises of all kinds of aid and then a few weeks later everyone will forget.

Is it something to do with the individual spiritual pursuit of the Hindu tradition that makes our compassion so limited? I think so. Having been amid European friends on the Sunday the tsunami hit I found myself very impressed by their readiness to not just help raise money for the victims but to go personally and see what they could do. I have been inundated with requests for advice on where they can go and what they can do. Some of those who are ready to leave for India tomorrow are young people in their twenties and thirties who want to go to Cuddalore and Car Nicobar and stay for several weeks if required to help victims rebuild their homes and lives.

It is the sort of thing I have never seen in India and it has come back to me poignantly every time I have covered natural disasters like earthquakes, famines and floods. The same is true when it comes to victims of ethnic violence and more man-made devastation but that is another story.

Most recently this inability of privileged Indians to help their brethren in need came to me when I visited those villages in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district where nearly 10,000 children are believed to have died of hunger last year. I went thinking the victims must be in remote, inaccessible villages and was taken aback to discover that not only was it possible to drive to them but they were barely an hour’s drive from prosperous, modern Nandurbar. Yet, none of Nandurbar’s rich citizens had been slightly affected by the deaths of the children. They were as indifferent to them as the officials and in their indifference were far from being unique. It is true every time starvation deaths have been reported whether they result from chronic hunger or a sudden season of drought.

When there is a massive natural disaster like the tsunami or the Gujarat earthquake there tends to be a bit more instant concern. In Delhi and Mumbai, bejeweled socialites will weep publicly at fundraising meetings and will sometimes even make the effort of travelling down personally to witness the extent of the damage. But, usually this is enough exertion to salve their consciences and then they will forget about the disaster, in much the same way our officials and national leaders do, and get on with the business of planning the next dinner party or the next fundraiser with Richard Gere or some other celebrity as the main reason for their concern.

What is even sadder is the total indifference we see among young Indians. When was the last time you saw university students reach out a helping hand to someone in need? When was the last time you saw rich young Indians invest their time, not just their money, on helping rebuild a village devastated by some natural disaster. If you can remember please write and tell me because I cannot remember a single instance since I became a journalist more than thirty years ago.

If we could see as many young Indians helping out in times of need as we see flocking to ashrams in pursuit of spiritual solace it would put pressure on our officials and political leaders to give us more than cosmetic compassion. It would make it harder for them to get away merely by ‘‘touring’’ the affected areas and making promises that never get fulfilled.

It would also force governments to set up the permanent infrastructure needed when disaster strikes. At the moment this is so absent that even in states that suffer floods every year all we see is the same story of indifference repeated every time with victims forced to rely on their own resources to survive. It is hard to blame governments for this when you and I as citizens are so remiss in our duties, so selfish in our needs.

Where should the lead come from? Should we be thinking of replacing the NCC with a peace corps? Should universities take the lead? I do not know but unless we do something we will have to be satisfied with those images of Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister making those tasteless and usually useless VIP disaster tours.

Write to tavleensingh@expressindia.com