Pray For Kerala. Do For Kerala.


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Kerala Flood.

This thread is all about Kerala Flood, happend in 16-20 August, 2018. This is all about a compilation of images from different people, how they faced, suffered, and learned from an unexpected flood. Many who lost their near and dear ones. I dedicate this thread to them.

I was part of the support team for the first part of Flood affected in Kuttanad, central Travancore, which is between Cochin, and Trivandrum. The topics in this Thread include, how people struggled, how it affected, and how to overcome.

Kerala, Gods Own Country.


*People Of The Blessed Land*
The blessed people lived
in a bountiful land,
a fish-shaped land
hallowed by the sea
and generous peaks,
with plentiful rivers,
a treasure of green
and rain, blissful rain!

Half of the people
owed it to god
while the rest trusted in
the power of people,
So blessed they felt
they all agreed
it as a land of gods;
So blessed they felt
they grew rich and happy
and marched onward
but forgot their blessing.

The sea frowned at them
and sent forth her clouds,
it rained
and they walked in it
to wash away their sweat;
it rained again
steadily now,
and they brought out their umbrellas;
it rained again
with furrowed brow this time,
they smiled and went on with their lives;
it rained again
harder this time,
they smiled and splashed to work;
it rained again
with purpose now,
they laughed and raced boats in the streets;
they laughed and still did not remember.

They laughed and said,
we have tamed the rivers
and walled them in,
we have tamed the forests
and our gods live in the hills,
we have tamed the land
and our crops are gold,
we have bridges and boats
and our homes are brick & mortar;
the sea is our mother,
she will swallow anything
we throw out and
you throw at us,
and they laughed
and went back to work.

The rain called her allies
and went to her mountains
where their first-born
river and forest grow,
she called and they came;
It rained then,
it rained and rained
from the sea to the mountains;
Thunder lent the rivers his hammer
the mountains gave them his might
the clouds became their darkness
and the sea filled them with her rage;

Down came the rivers,
the forests parted to
let them pass
and then trampled their roads;
Down came the rivers,
red and rocky with rage
drowning their shrines,
burying their green;
Down came the rivers
smashing the walls that hemmed them in
bursting the banks that they chose to keep
cutting through their paper houses
and stacks of silly towns;
It rained and rained
till the once blessed people
called upon the sea,
But she only howled,
swollen with fury
and blew them a swirling gust;

It rained and rained
till each mountain was an island
till each city was mud
till their bridges swam
till their boats climbed trees
till they were wet to their bones
till they no longer laughed
till they fell to their knees
and remembered
that they once were blessed;
and the sea said,
it's time to learn
to walk in the rain again.
by Sunil Rajagopal
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From an Army officer who is at the forefront of rescue and relief operations at Kochi:

"I have been in the centre of activities at Kochi. While there is no doubt the armed forces have been doing a tremendous job and it has to be acknowledged, I would like to bring out the differences I felt in this mission and the ones carried out at Srinagar, Chennai, Uttaranchal and Mumbai.

Firstly to the credit of the civil administration, they have also been in the front and have been operating along with the public. Unlike other places where they had hid themselves and were unwilling to show themselves to the public, here they were shoulder to shoulder with all affected people

Secondly, youngsters had on their own taken on the task of organising the efforts. IT companies had given their people off, to work on relief and rescue. These ppl had all sorts of software programmes created, to coordinate the efforts. The place where they were coordinating the efforts were teaming with the youngsters who were bringing in supplies and other essentials as needed. From my flat complex, young ladies had overnight collected over Rs 3 lakhs and were supplying packed food.

Thirdly, the fishermen community had on their own transported their boats and were rescuing the stranded. Similarly, others also had formed their own little organisations to rescue the stranded.

The population in general did not wait idly for the govt machinery to begin the actions as in other places.

I find tremendous happiness having seen all the groups work together without any sense of religion or caste or other divisions. I had gone to a church with rations and they directed us to a temple as there were more people there.

I am sure with such an attitude, in spite of our politicians and what a number of us say, this country has a good future."
Let us have few photos.
[Disclaimer: These photos are from different people. ]

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Thread Starter #3
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Re: Pray for Kerala, Do for Kerala.

Lets unroll the events.

This year the rain goddess blessed abundantly. On 15th August, Independence day celebration was interrupted due to rain. It was not panic through these days.

But, 15th evening things changed. State alerted.


Few words by a Chennai resident who witnessed the horrific flood three years ago:

I guess you were also happy like us when it started raining. Children and adults may have leapt on that rain. Gradually you may have noticed the amount of water coming up, until it reached its limits. Just like us.

And after this is where the difference betwee you and us begin ..

We were frozen when Chennai suffered rains for a week in a row. We lamented for help. Waters were chest up at that time, even the people of Kerala extended their hand for help.

But you are Malayalees..

Its been raining for three months straight!

You saw the tragedy coming for you. Facebook and Whatsapp groups and pages, who have played each other with trolls and jokes, suddenly made your own control rooms. Made them into information centers. And you were there, and you prepared the camps.

You did not wait for anyone. Did not sit and wait till the central government or neighbours came to your aid You were working. To save people around you. To help them, rescue them.

Your brothers have been stayong sleepless in the gulf countries for helping and coordinating rescue operations in the country. Coordinating to provide help.

You were seeking solutions among yourselves.

How did you do this?

Where did you learn how to organize yourself so well no matter what tragedy?

The world has watched as you have defeated the nipah virus. You do not cry for help. You do not blame anyone who doesn't come help you. No plays or dramas.

If this was happening in any other state in India, the situation could not have been held for three days let alone three months

You may be at the bottom of the map of this country. But just as in terms of education and health care you have come out on top of all states in India in case of disaster management as well.

Respond and resist. It's in your blood to stay together and fight till death and show the rest of the world how to live.

It makes me wish that all of India was made of people with the same mentality of those in Kerala.

Big salute Kerala. "

A translation of a Tamil friend.
(M. Sadiq Thirunavaya)
 
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The person in the above photo is an IAS officer. His name is RajaManikkam. He is a true Manikkam<Jewel>. See the texture. He has done an excellent job in this mission.
 
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A team of Engineering College students (Barten Hill Trivandrum), preparing an emergency phone recharge kits. This was really usefull. Many who stranded have phone but no power. SO this kits dropped off from air, so they can contact their near ones. This was useful.
 
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Dear All,
The same situation as in the previous year. The thread started in August 2018.
North Kerala is effected this year. The effected areas during previous year are safe.
Most of the rivers are flowing full.
 

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