1407 hours
The Lok Sabha re-assembled after Lunch at seven minutes
past Fourteen of the Clock.
(Mr. Speaker in the Chair)
MR. SPEAKER: The House shall now take up Item No. 15 of the Revised List of Business.
Title: Further Discussion regarding situation caused by severe earthquake in Gujarat raised by Shri Harin Pathak on 26th February, 2001 (Concluded.)
SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE (BOLPUR): Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is proper that this House should discuss this major human tragedy which has befallen the nation. We express our intense grief and sorry at the grievous loss suffered by our brothers and sisters of Gujarat. There has been a widespread loss of human lives and there have been tremendous losses on account of destruction of properties and assets there. We convey our deepest sympathy to all those who have suffered grievous losses, and to those who have lost their near and dear ones. Words can hardly be adequate to express one’s feelings in these matters. Our heart goes out specially to all our colleagues here who come from Gujarat. We appreciate their feelings. I wish to tell them that it is not the tragedy of Gujarat alone but it is the tragedy of the whole country. We wish to look at it from that point of view. The nation has stood up as one, as it should be, in this hour of crisis.
Now, after the immediate task of rescue and providing immediate relief is over, the important work of rehabilitation and reconstruction has to be undertaken. That should be done in a coordinated, efficient and transparent manner. Nothing should be done or said, specially there, to take political mileage out of things. I have no manner of doubt that the nation as a whole stands committed to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of people and restoration of businesses etc., in the affected areas.
(h2/1410/kkd/rjs)
Sir, I have gone through the Statement of the hon. Minister of Agriculture carefully. But I must confess my unhappiness that it does not disclose the full story, rather, it suppresses more than what it discloses. Somehow, one gets an impression of a bureaucratic routine response so far as his statement to this grave tragedy is concerned.
Sir, I think, the time has not only come, it has already been well passed, that this nation should think of how to respond to such situations of natural calamities. We have been seeing ad hoc responses. Though the natural calamity of different types is faced by the nation in one part or the other, there is hardly any mechanism or machinery to tackle those situations. There is no permanent body or set up to tackle such situations. There are no equipment and funds. It is always on the basis of proximity to Delhi which probably decides it.
Every time, we have to clamour for one State or the other, wherever there is a problem, making requests to the Prime Minister that ‘please send the Central team’ because without the Central team’s assessment, the relief operations do not start, because it is the Central Government which has got the power per se.
Therefore, Sir, I think that the time has come now that this House and the Government of the country should seriously think as to how to meet situations like this. Because of the absence of any set up or any machinery that the situation as has developed this time is seen. Sir, I am not here trying to throw stones on anybody. But there have been widespread reports, and those who visited the State have also seen, that for nearly one week there was hardly any Administration to look after the rescue and relief work and to coordinate the activities there.
I do not wish to take up the time of the House in referring to reports that have appeared in all the journals, newspapers. Even the electronic media has also shown as to how there have been a sort of almost total collapse of the Administration, which created a total vacuum in the functioning of relief and rescue operations there. In a sense, it was the people themselves and many well experienced NGOs that really came forward and rendered the help.
That is why it is rather strange that the hon. Minister has gone out of his way to praise the role of the State Government at least, for the initial period. Why do I refer to this? This is not just to criticize the State Government because it is run by a political party which I am not supporting. But I have all the empathy and support for the people there.
Sir, there have been serious complaints about the inaptitude in tackling the situation. The relief materials were pouring, lying unattended over ports or some open places.
(j2/1415/rsg-nsh)
Perishable food articles were thrown away ultimately. Packets of vitally needed blood lay unused. There were even medicines that were not utilised. Nobody knew what to take. As a result of the appeal made to the international community, not only Governments but also organisations like the International Red Cross Society came up with huge stocks of materials. They were lying unattended to. They were waiting for five or six days in the airports. They did not know where to go, where the materials were needed. It became, in a sense, supply-based relief work. Whenever there was supply, something would be done. But there was no co-ordination.
It is a matter of serious concern – it has appeared in many newspapers – that Mr. Holvar, Director of International Red Cross Society who came for the operations in Gujarat said:
“We are launching the biggest rescue and relief effort undertaken by us (that is, International Red Cross) but I do not know where to start. There is no one to talk to me, to tell me where to start. We are trying to fly in planeloads of relief and rescue materials, medicines, 1.5 lakh blankets, two hospitals that can perform any major surgery and other support worth millions of dollars to start with. But if these people do not talk to me, I will be forced to cancel it.”
Mr. Holvar of the International Red Cross Society who had come here to help states further:
“Your country is telling us that we are unwanted.”
Mr. Brailler was leading a French team. He and his team took 36 hours to reach Bhachau because nobody directed them where to go. He has said that the contributing factor to the delay in the French team reaching Bhachau was the Prime Minister’s visit to Kutch on the same day. The key personnel responsible for co-ordinating the relief work were engaged with the Prime Minister’s visit and visits by VIPs like the Union Home Minister, the Civil Aviation Minister and the Defence Minister. Nothing could be done and it hampered the rescue work. It is happening too often that the VIPs descend down and everything becomes topsy-turvy, the main work of relief and rescue takes a back seat and these visits get priority. This time, they say, along with it, there were hordes of newspapermen who went there. Naturally, they would be interested.
Friends from the print media and electronic media were all there. There was hardly any place for the people who had gone there for relief work, for even to move about. About 51 countries sent relief materials. Shri Harin Pathak knows much better than I do. He was on the scene. Therefore, with all these visits, there was nobody to direct them, to tell them where to go and this seriously hampered their relief work. As a matter of fact, it was primarily so because there was no civil administration function. Too much of a trauma, it seems, had overtaken them but that does not explain the total ineptitude that was there. The matter of greatest concern was that the relief operations were dogged – I may be misunderstood here but I am not saying it myself alone, there are other hon. Members also saying it – by the chaotic administration as well as religious and caste considerations.
(k2/1420/vp/mkg)
There are numerous reports of discrimination. It is a matter of grave concern. I am sure well-meaning persons like my friend Shri Harin Pathak would understand it. I hope his disillusionment will be soon over.
There have been such cases, and the reports are there to narrate how things have happened. I have got one report from The Hindu, which appeared. Some of the relief materials were hijacked and were seem to have been distributed by Shri Harin Pathak’s friend in the RSS, or the VHP or the Bajrang Dal. I do not know where he belongs. On the relief materials, which came from other places, the label of RSS was put. … (Interruptions)
डॉ. वल्लभभाई कथीरिया (राजकोट) : जब आपको पता नहीं है तो आप क्यों असत्य बोल रहे हैं?एक तरफ कह रहे हैं…( व्यवधान )
SHRI HARIN PATHAK (AHMEDABAD): With due respect to Shri Somnath Chatterjee, I would tell that all reports which have appeared are baseless and there is no fact in them. … (Interruptions)
श्री प्रकाश परांजपे (ठाणे): इनके कहने से आर.एस.एस. खराब नहीं हो जाता। आर.एस.एस. को हम और बढ़ाएंगे। इनके कहने से कुछ नहीं होता है। आर.एस.एस. तो बढ़ रहा है।…( व्यवधान )
डॉ. वल्लभभाई कथीरिया (राजकोट) : किन लोगों ने हाईजैक किया था, यह हम नहीं बोल रहे हैं। इसे हम बोल सकते हैं। …( व्यवधान )
MR. SPEAKER: He is not yielding.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI KHARABELA SWAIN (BALASORE): There is no truth in them.
MR. SPEAKER: You cannot do like this, please. You can deny them when you speak.
… (Interruptions)
अध्यक्ष महोदय : मि. स्वैन, आप बैठ जाइये, प्लीज।
… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: He is not yielding. Please take your seat.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Sir, you may have to give a ruling as to whether the word ‘RSS’ is unparliamentary. Whenever that word is taken by us, they are shouting.… (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: Please do not disturb the hon. Member please.
SHRI HARIN PATHAK (AHMEDABAD): Sir, it is not the question of mentioning the name of RSS. But it is said by a very senior hon. Member whom I love very much that relief materials were snatched away by the RSS people. Is it the credibility of the RSS? Who is going to believe his statement? … ()