Nehru rescued this village in 1956

No structure in the village, with a population of little over 1,000, is intact. The three towering gates erected to mark the Nehru’s visit have been reduced to rubble and so are the temples.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Bhuj, but couldn’t make it to Jawaharnagar. Seventy two hours have passed after the quake visited them, but they are yet to see a government official. Whatever help has come their way came from some NGOs.

Jivabhai Khuman Ahir who lived through the 56 quake recalls how he along with others got new homes in less than 10 days. ‘‘By the fourth day the tin roofs were arranged for,’’ he says. They all had moved in a week after the quake struck.Vuda Rupa says, ‘‘We were frightened when the earth started moving under our feet. It was not possible to stand, he says still shuddering from the experience. Adds Bhura Ajan Ahir: ‘‘The earth moved horizontally and then we bobbed up and down.’’ Another villager said: ‘‘The earth moved like a sewing machine.’’ They say even if help had arrived in the first few hours they would not have accepted it.

Though they appreciate the efforts of the voluntary organisations they are angry, like many other villages that have met the same fate, with the government for ignoring them completely.