The southern state expects more from India than India does from itself.
Only Rs 100 crore? Only Rs 500 crore? Only 20 helicopters? People are drowning, people are dying, why aren’t you helping? Why is the Delhi media not reporting our plight? Where’s your humanity? Where’s your conscience?
Over the past few days, Kerala has shamed the Indian conscience. But it isn’t merely the north Indian apathy towards south India. Neither is it just the ruling party’s indifference to a state that doesn’t vote for it, nor is it merely our Hindutva bigotry for a state where even Brahmins eat beef. There’s more to it. Floods and natural disasters have become so common now that we’ve become immune to them.
And, truth is that the response of the state and central governments is far from adequate. The media attention is even less. The affected people complain about how little the state is able to do for them during every single flood. It’s just that in the case of Kerala, the voices have been louder.
Also read: Here’s how you can help the flood-hit people in Kerala
Unlike the areas that usually see floods, such as Assam and Bihar, Kerala has a high rate of literacy and urbanisation, and low poverty rate. No matter what the BJP and its supporters say, Kerala is also better governed than most of India. It is thus natural that people of Kerala expect a better response from the country when they face the worst flood in a century.
Greater access to education and social media has helped Kerala make a noise and be heard despite a national media wanting to cover polarising political stories. By contrast, people in remote villages of eastern India literally drown in the waters and yet can’t get their voices to reach us.
Take last year alone. In separate floods, at least 514 people died in Bihar, 224 died in Gujarat, 85 in the northeast, 17 in Rajasthan, 50 in West Bengal, eight in Jharkhand, and 14 in Mumbai.
These death counts hide the misery of millions of people displaced by floods – people who saw their homes drown, their cattle die, their wealth destroyed. These death counts don’t even begin to tell you how many people had to spend countless nights in the open, on rooftops, in poorly-resourced shelters without clothes, food, drinking water or medicines.
Also read: Remember this catastrophe when rebuilding Kerala, respect nature, say experts
Their voices never reached us. That is partly because we didn’t listen, partly because we don’t care, and partly because they don’t expect us to listen and care. Kerala is different. Kerala expects better from us and, in doing so, it has set a higher standard of what the national response to a disaster relief should be.
It is not enough to feel proud of the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force for rescuing people stuck in flood-hit areas. When we do so, it sounds like the nation is doing these people a favour. “What more do they want?” asked an insensitive proud Indian on Twitter.
But this was certainly not enough for Kerala, which expected every single person to be rescued. The government and the defence forces had to step up their efforts.
Also read: Kerala floods – The science behind what went wrong, and what we have to learn
As climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent, more people will die. The Indian state, truth be told, does not have the capacity to save everyone or to rebuild everyone’s life and home. This is going to get worse. Get ready. Pro tip: make a lot of noise. Scream.
Keraliyans have so much gold in their shitty temples. Why you need our hard earn money to loot us. Dig the temples and trust, your fake god have plenty of them. Go there. Kerala city of God’s. No no. Country of religious bastards and priests.
How much did Kerala ever donate towards similar but much greater disasters in Uttrakhand, Bihar, Odisha and Kashmir? What you sow you reap.
The floods in Kerala have resulted in destruction, deaths and disruption of unprecedented magnitude.It is only after Mr. Modi’s visit to the state that our so called ” National television” channels took a break from their usual Hindu Muslim debates, Bollywood trivia and started covering the tragedy.
Kerala like any other state deserves all the help from the state and Central Government.
It is to the credit of its citizens who have acted with maturity and sensitivity.
By the way, Kerala also does its two bit in contributing to the nation through its dedicated nurses, toiling masses in the gulf who generate foreign exchange for the country and also supporting 25 lakh migrant labourers from underdeveloped states of the country.
Food habist and political ideology should not be the criteria in deciding about aid.
Sad that at a time of crisis you play the politic of comparing Kerala with the eastern states, firstly to say that the disaster in Kerala is not so huge as not enough people died and secondly to say that they are just making a noise and attracting attention. On both counts what you say is irksome.
Also to say the Indian Govt has no capacity to recover people’s lives after such a calamity is a nonsense. The government has all our tax payers money which the ruling party thinks is its grandfathers money. So they spend it on partisan propaganda rather than development if the people. In terms of man power they have all the resources if the forces again maintained on tax payers money
Just because The Print can publish trash it will write trash? Kerala has shown it’s ministers are more selfish than any other. It’s Christian community has behaved in the most inhuman and insane manner. It’s people caused it why now expecting relief from others? The country has done enough for them. Now let them help themselves for a change. The state and its people has been milking the country enough while taking a perennial anti India stand.
‘milking the country’ ? Please be kind enough to elaborate. The Kerala model is heralded in universities as an example of excellent social socio-economic development. And what insane, inhuman behaviour are you taking about on the part of the Christian community ? Just because you can think trash you will write trash ?
“where even Brahmins eat beef.”
Brahmins in Kerala don’t eat non-veg, forget meat or beef.
I agree that people in Kerala are generally beef eaters, but exclude brahmins. That statement is not true. Please correct it ASAP.
Mr Shivan Vij has made totally biased post against the Central Government, while he went on to protect the State Government ruled by Communist Party.
Two points: Has Kerala ever extended helping hand to any Indian States in the time of disasters? Answer is a Big NO. While they had given 5 crore rupees to Pakistan in 2010 by the then CPI ministry headed by Shri Achuthanandan. Was this not to appease the muslim voters of Kerala?
One if the Ministers in Govt if Kerala has belittled the services of the Indian Armed forces who fought against the fury of Nature in the most critical situations. Even some other political functionary in Kerala Govt had nade severe criticism if the Armed forces.
In similar disasters in many states in the past the then Congress Govt in Center had not taken prompt actions as now done by the BJP ruled Central Govt.
These incidents hurts the feelings of every patriotic citizen of the Country.
Therefore I deplore the post by Mr Shivam.
I normally do not bother with comments as it is impossible to change a person’s viewpoint with a few words but I do point out anything that I find factually incorrect. Kerala donated Rs. 2 crores along with all the ministers promising a month’s salary during the Uttarakhand flood in 2013. So much for the claim of Kerala not extending any help.
This is what you conclude as your ‘Pro Tip’????
Seriously, I was trying to find some matured content in such a clumsy world of media on Kerala flood. The title sounded interesting, so read it.
But, hoestly, the whole content is misplaced. At one end you are trying you point Kerala to be highly educated, rich people and to another end, you are suggesting that they are intelligent because they scream well and others also should do the same?
Scream is not intelligence. Scream is the first sign of either weakness or intention of fooling, depending on the situation.
Intelligence is Problem Solving. Intelligence is learning. May be we all need to look at some of the western and eastern countries how they are managing this kind of calamities.
I actually went through the article twice to confirm if I missed something. Either, there is some kind of between the line message, which, I can’t understand, or the author just wanted to say something and lost – almost since beginning of the article.
Wish you best.
Sir,
You seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that people can do as they please with public resources. Well, that is simply not true. You have to wade (pun unintended) through miles of red tape to get even the most basic of permits. What, I think, the author of this article was trying to say when they used the word “scream” was simply to make your grievances be known so that all your fellow countrymen hear you and can put enough pressure on the government to get off their lazy, fat cat backsides and stop relying on the underpaid and overextended members of the armed forces to wave their magic wands and take care of everything.
P.S.: I come from a family of past and present servicemen and women. Do not think of this as your opening to malign them in any way.
It’s a very ordinary piece of writing coming from a predetermined notion. Not wort a read anyway. Wasted my time.
So ‘Brahmins of the state eat Beef’ is it? Who is the moron who wrote this? I amazing Brahmin of this state and I am irked by this totally useless comment….
That’s what you got out of this whole article? I’m a former Brahmin of the state. My friends are too and are currently in residence. We all enjoy erachi fry and paronthas. Keep your bigotry to yourself, please.
Where is the bigotry in her statement? I will rather say it is a strong reaction to a false statement.She just stated a fact that beef is not eaten by the Brahmins in the state and as per the religious practice of Kerala Brahmins , it is true. There might be exceptions because eating any food is a personal choice.For your information Kerala Brahmins are not supposed to eat any non-vegetarian food.
She never said anything against people eating beef. So where is the bigotry.
The problem any T, D &H will post anything these days without doing any homework and a whole lot of people just accept it.
Absolutely agree. Author has put forth useless (and dangerous arguments). I am not sure What is this article all about?
The help and sympathy that other states have shown is exemplary but the mean mentality of the Malayalee people can be seen when they pretend as if they have not received adequate help from Central Govt and the Defence personnel who are striving hard to help these mean mentality people
Quick and adequate relief from the Central government is not Mr. Modi’s generosity, it is the RIGHT of an Indian citizen.
So what do you want to say?? India should continue to be mute and let people die in different parts of the country without their voices being heard. The fourth largest military power in the world should let their people die in calamities. The limit of help being granted to the victims should never be extended. India should not be pushed further to be resilient on such issues. If someone not stands as an example the same plight is to return everytime. Sir you article says the idea of ‘be happy with what you have got, even if it is insufficient.’ Do you think this approch is ok for a nation that aspires to become a global power? I get the idea of your article but it should be addressed to the govt of the country, not to people who are suffering and desperate for some help. Question the govt, not those who are suffering.
People should learn to help themselves – Govt’s can only do so much. Even in the West , not everybody is rescued and not everyone survives a calamity. Also, why is everybody looking to the Center to help them ? Is there no State Govt ? No State Police forces ? NO muncipality ? No District collectors ?So called “best governed state” in India can’t handle one crisis without crying out for “help” ? What a sham of so-called “best governed state”. And the idea that Kerala is unprepared for flooding after floods are a recurrent phenomena for 1000s of years in Kerala is a joke.
Ha ha. Looks like you have no idea about the rescue operation carried out in Kerala. There are so many non keralite army officers praising the state, it’s people and it’s government for the unbelievable way in which they’re carrying out the operations. There are civil service officers politicians and even super stars right in the middle of flood covered in mud helping and rescuing people. Fishermen of Kerala saved more than 30000 lives. Techies worked day and night and coded like crazy and came up with so many super efficient website to find any update details of missing people rescue centers and needs. Go check out international media’s coverage. They’re even suggesting that the way Kerala handled the rescue operation might even be considered as a case study in international level. And the very fact you have absolutely no clue about any of this itself is proof that how none of this is covered by national media. So while you think that Kerala is sitting at a corner and crying, in reality the way the most literate state used it’s sense and knowledge in handling such a crisis has amazed so many round the globe.
What a comment.are you blind to the facts .westren govt stepn in any national disaster .i lived in u s for years . What our center is doingis minuscule what us does in a disaster of this magnitude.No point in beating the breast that we are going to be great force in the world.no point on glorifying our culture . Shame on people like you and shame on the central govt .get real fellows
I am surprised people like you exist as humans!
This disaster just proves how wrong the Indian government was to not take climate change seriously so far. It is time to sign up to the UN’s Paris agreement and take action.
Very difficult to generalise. First the home minister, then the prime minister visited the state, to express solidarity. The armed forces need no validation or certificates, helicopters landing on small roofs, one IAF pilot taking a woman safely to a naval hospital where she was delivered of a bonny boy just two hours later. Whether 100 or 500 crores from the Centre is a detail; state governments too have helped, as has the government of UAE, where people from the state have made a name for themselves with their work ethic. The fishermen’s community has rescued a lot of people. The sheer scale and intensity of the disaster have been numbing. Social media has helped the response become more focussed. More extreme weather events are likely. India will have to keep improving its response on both prevention and cure.