|
Rebuilding from the Rubble
A month after the quake, the homeless remain confused about their future. The government has yet to arrive at a decision on a housing rehabilitation package for the towns.
'If there is political will, the militants can be finished in no time'
The Meghalaya insurgents have no real demands. All they do is indulge in criminal activity -- looting banks, extortion and kidnapping.
The Courage of Bhuj
In the first of a monthly series on the state of rehabilitation and relief in Gujarat, Features Editor (News) Archana Masih and Photographer Dominic Xavier visit Bhuj to find out how the victims of the worst earthquake in recent Indian history are coping with the catastrophe's aftermath.
'It's very lucrative to be a militant"
The Meghalaya government has done little to rein the insurgents in. Young boys are using the gun to make a fast buck.
Another obstacle in the path to peace
Kashmiris are being discriminated against is the general theme. This belief is strengthened by the fact that Jammu remains unaffected by this week's power failure.
'Our leaders are like frogs in a pond'
Meghalaya has a population of 20 lakhs and gets Rs 4,800 million as an annual central grant. Yet the state is underdeveloped, and nearly 50 per cent of its people lives below the poverty line.
Fear in the air
Roving Editor Ramesh Menon, who travelled to the northeast recently, feels that xenophobia and narrow-minded politicians are destroying Meghalaya's future.
A Soldier's Story
'I wish they would call of this cursed cease-fire. All it has done is rob us of our advantage.
No checking, no frisking... So the militants move around easily! The attacks that are happening now, they are all because of this cease-fire.'
Valley of darkness
'Our heaters don't work, true. So what? We have
bukharis, our age-old wood-burning stoves. And
our geysers heat no water. But cool, all that cold
water can do is numb us, and we are numb anyway. As
for the electric lamps in our houses, that too is all
right...' Chindu Sreedharan on a power-hungry state.
The Ganga flows beside us, making her music..
'I need to go easy on the chillum -- I could have sworn that I heard Ganga, flowing peacefully past us, let out a rueful chuckle...'
Congress, Moopanar dilemma may spawn Third Front In Tamil Nadu
Moopanar has no problem with the PMK, but Jayalalitha insulted the TMC, offering it less than 30 seats for the assembly election.
A tragedy waiting to happen
Bagdigi was the culimnation of years of criminal negligence. The miners complained of constant
water seepage, yet the authorities turned a deaf ear to their warnings. Twentynine lives were lost in the disaster.
'Our lives will never be the same again'
There has been frenetic religious activity in Gujarat after the quake. Temples are packed. Residents offer coconuts to Dharti Mata, praying that another quake should not occur.
Taller than Everest
Meet Tobgay Sherpa, Nawang Gombu, Ang Tsering -- the Sherpas who have conquered the world's tallest mountains.
The Philosopher and the Actress
Leela Naidu found a surrogate parent in J Krishnamurti. He, in turn, perceived special qualities in her. But people would construe this as her crush on him.
Encounter or Set-up?
Did the Special Task Force encounter Veerappan in Kerala's forests? Did the STF catch TNLA chief Senguttuvan Maran? George Iype finds out the answers.
'My son was my hope'
Even in the midst of death and devastation, the girl child of Kutch continues to face discrimination.
The good old days!
'The Indian Navy was a happy Navy. Court martials were few and far in between. There was little bitching,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd).
What should I do if my building is quake-damaged?
A structural engineer should assess the damage, and the building should be repaired according to his instructions.
'She would never suffer a compromise, preferring austerity to the heaven of popularity'
The legendary Gangubai Hangal pays tribute to gaantapaswini Moghubai Kurdikar.
'We will not allow anyone to observe Valentine's Day'
The self-styled 'culture cops' are on the prowl again in UP. Their targets? Card shops, restaurants, couples and almost anyone who dares celebrate Valentine's Day.
Romance in the Snow
As some Hindu organisations protest violently against the celebration of Valentine's Day, the youth in Kashmir are slowly beginning to embrace the custom.
He was the ultimate dream man
Suave, dashing, rich, wordly-wise and the youngest MLA of a newly formed anti-establishment political party that had successfully fought Indira Gandhi's regime, Jeevraj Alva's life was the stuff of dreams.
'His first and last love was Kashmir'
He was the first Kashmiri to pick up the gun. The first to demand independence for Kashmir. Yet, on the 17th anniversary of Maqbool Bhat's death, there were no VIPs visiting his family. Nor did the strike call from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference received much response.
When the Commander reviews his fleet...
Each review had something special about it. But the 1976 review, which was held during the Emergency, will be remembered for many ignominious reasons, says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd), who has participated in every fleet review held in Independent India.
Was a ransom paid for Dr Rajakumar's release?
"The fact that Rs 292,000 was found in Veerappan's gunny bags does not prove Dr Rajakumar was freed in exchange for money. But how did a fresh set of Rs 500 notes come into his hands?" asks Palakkad Superintendent of Police P Tomin J Thachankary.
'We all understand suffering'
The Israeli team at Bhuj share a solidarity with the quake's victims. They know how it feels when many innocent victims are killed in one place, says Yitzhak Abena, a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology.
The Kalpavasi
They lead an incredibly arduous life -- and yet, Kalpavasi after Kalpavasi tells Prem Panicker that they are blessed to be at the Kumbh, to be able to spend the month in prayer and penance.
'It's God's way of teaching us humility'
The Gangagiris lost their home, but refused to abandon their damaged temple. As long as it stood, the daily puja would be done.
The child God gave back
"He was fully conscious, but cloaked in dust. He had wounds on the back of his head and on his face. He was sucking his thumb." Four days after the quake, 10-month-old Murtaza was recoverd from the debris. Alive.
'Sonia did not even come to his mother's funeral'
While his mother was accessible and respected for her sincerity, Madhavrao is seen as arrogant. In recent elections, his margin of victory has been dangerously thin.
'What can a coward do to me?'
With Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia's death, the feud between son Madhavrao and confidant Sardar Angre is rekindled.
'I desperately wanted to be with my mother'
400 school children and 100 teachers were on a Republic Day parade when the killer quake struck Anjaar. Josy Joseph meets four of the survivors.
Journey to the epicentre
'It was not just our grief. The entire village was mourning. Also, we survived, didn't we?' Meet the villagers of Lodai, the village that was closest to the quake's epicentre.
Call in the ex-servicemen
They are used to a rough life and, in all probability, have participated in some kind of relief operation during their active career, says Wg Cdr Ravindra Parasnis (retired).
The last namaz
For 24 hours, an ancient mosque became a symbol of Hindu-Muslim amity. Unfortunately, it was too good to last.
'Cease-fire does not mean anything for us Kashmiris'
'Haalat to bahut kharab hai (The situation is very bad),' says a Kashmiri. 'We need to get home. There will be checking in the night.'
'Will my school open?'
Some children call Childline, Ahmedabad's phone help service, saying they want to hear a story. Or a song. Others are direct; they fear the continuing tremors.
Journey into the centre of darkness
'Jewellery is being stolen off dead bodies. Ears are being cut off. Fingers...' An eyewitness account from Bhachau.
'First comes Life, then Limb'
A naval psychiatrist is encouraged by the fact that none of the patients have lost the will to live.
Memories of the Earthquake
What do you feel when you realise it is just a matter of time before a demolition squad mows down a 10 storeyed building, which houses the home which you bought with your hard-earned money?
The man who predicts earthquakes
'I can predict earthquakes scientifically,' insists P N Nair. 'But the authorities and the so-called seismological experts are unwilling to listen to me.'
Individual efforts make a difference in Gujarat
The state government, though, continues to dither through rescue and relief process.
'Where is our future?'
'In the garden at Kailash Nagar, over 700 people -- millionaires and sweepers alike -- sleep next to each other under the open sky. And the remote control is in God's hands. At night, everyone sees the same scenes -- we see the earthquake. Again and again and again.'
Slow. Tardy. Ineffective.
Numerous foreign relief teams were left high and dry after reaching Ahmedabad. No one told them the plan of action, dispatched them to the affected areas and ensured they had local guides and transport.
Back | More Specials
|
