Government functionaries are showing their concern for the flood victims by allocating funds to support them. TV channels are continuously showing flood water and ruined houses, old and young people; ladies and children are trying to come out of the water streams. The scenes are awful. Along with this, politicians’ statements and the military’s rescue efforts have sensitised the nation about the mammoth size of this havoc. Most
philanthropists want to reach out to the camps and villages of the flood victims. Millions of people are still waiting for shelters and have slipped hither and thither in search of refuge. This position has made them address less; even near and dear can’t reach for help. The government is thinking about establishing tent campuses for them, but tent shortages are one problem. The sooner it is done, the better it will be. The water from their lands and houses will take at least a week to drain and dry. Providing them with tent villages will certainly bring them under the patronage of the government. Their number and needs will be properly assessed, and the necessary medicine and treatment can be given. Then other data and records about the grants allocated for such families will be prepared, and a
system for judicious distribution of the grants will be easy to develop. In such reachable tent villages, it will be easy for civil society to reach for help. On these sites, government officials can inform donors about the assistance provided, the next steps to be taken, and the expected help from civil society in kind and cash.
The information about these camp villages and their road links should be announced through the media for civil society to come out in support of their brethren in this time of need. The media must arrange intensive real-time reporting of the real needs of the people surrounded by water in far-flung areas and still waiting for any help. They must tell the nation the complete position of the devastated areas in all districts and tehsils.
Keeping informed about the exact access to these areas will remain of prime importance. Government agencies must make use of information and surveys made by the media. All politicians, including members of parliament and cabinets, must go to the flood-affected areas with the government’s allocated aid and with a maximum from their own pockets. They should dip their legs in the mud and water and reach for the gloomy creatures. It will certainly give them the real feel of the poor classes whose national wealth has been plundered by cruel rulers. Political parties must bring their workers, if they have any, into the field to help these families in their time of need. Reaching these people now will give them a certificate of concern and care for the poor classes, and they will have eternal peace and pleasure. People know this reality very well: all politicians are very rich
and have billions of dollars in western countries’ banks.
The Flood is a competitive arena set for all national political parties. Their leadership can take advantage of this opportunity to win people’s hearts. Political parties can become very popular and strong by spending on the havoc-stricken population. They need to have faith that their lives are as important as their own lives. They must consider the sick and hungry
children of flood victims as their own children and should not delay their decision to come out of hypocrisy and do some real service to the nation on this occasion. People know politicians as boastful and inconsiderate. It is a time to look at their heavy pockets and empty them for their fellow countrymen and wash all the dirty blame on this creature called politicians. This is nationwide devastation that will be tackled at the national level by
all the factions, and especially a competition of the real service between the political parties, which is a dire need in this field. This is also required to stop the grave and ugly blame game and enmities in which our politicians have indulged themselves.
The nation wants to support the direction of our politicians and is sort of frightened of the results of their present attitudes. We want democracy, and our political leadership rarely has democratic attitudes. If required, the whole nation will be ready to make a humble request to our very rich and very strong, so-called, politicians to adopt a democratic attitude and, if not possible, then leave the field for democrats and retire themselves from politics.
Everyone in this country knows that you and your bloodsucker patrons are awfully rich and need no more blood from our dry bodies. Democracy is the name of accommodating the interests of all the factions of society and accepting the different approaches and beliefs as basic rights for us all. Tolerance, patience, and solutions to problems through consultation and negotiations are the ongoing processes of democratic societies. If some people don’t consider themselves fit for this process, they should separate themselves from politics without wasting any more time.
Nevertheless, working together in the field for the real cause of the flood victims can make many things clear to our politicians. They will come to know the need for national spirit, unity, and cooperation among our politicians, but they are shy about it.
