Purses and hearts

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has a complaint which he has voiced several times in the media. He believes that the Indian corporate sector has been laggard in its response to the October 8 earthquake. To buttress his argument, he cites the generosity with which India Inc rushed to the aid of those affected by the earthquakes at Bhuj and Latur.

He may just have a point here. It is four days since news of the killer quake reached us. We know that whole villages are now under rubble and that thousands face inclement weather without a roof over their heads. The human tragedy is immense, the situation is both grave and heart-rending. This is the time for initiatives of every kind which would contribute towards alleviating some of the suffering being played out before our eyes. But we are yet to hear of any major relief initiative from India8217;s private sector. It is early days, of course, but a tragedy of this magnitude demands urgent responses and the silence from our captains of industry is disconcerting. When Bhuj happened in January 2001, corporates launched their own reconnaissance missions to the affected sites to gauge what was most required. It was reported that solar cookers, vehicles, excavators, cranes, tippers, gas cutting sets and breakers were despatched post-haste. Chambers of commerce worked out independent reconstruction and rehabilitation packages. Some of the large industrial houses adopted entire villages and set up schools and hospitals.

Corporate India had indeed risen to the challenge of the Gujarat earthquake with financial

assistance, personnel and management expertise, and we are confident that it will rise up to the challenge posed by the Kashmir earthquake. We share the Mirwaiz8217;s concern but do not share the traces of rancour that sometimes mark his words. People all over India have expressed their concern and grief over this Himalayan tragedy. For the moment the biggest problem is to ensure that thousands of homeless people have the protection of a home before winter sets in. The nation must work as one to achieve this.