Indian expatriates have come forward in a big way to support their fellow citizens affected by the flood which hit the southern Indian states of Kerala and Kodagu district of Karnataka.
They are sending cash and in-kind aid in large quantity to provide relief to the people in the affected areas.
Some Indian organisations and individuals in Qatar also plan to help Indian expatriates in rebuilding their homes destroyed partially or completely in the flood.
“Responding to the appeal of the Kerala government, many Indian expatriates pledged to donate three day salary for consecutive 10 months to help flood victims,” Abdul Raoof Kondotty, a member of Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) told The Peninsula.
In a unique move, Indian expatriates also carried in-kind aid like clothes, blankets, cleaning material from Qatar while travelling to their home country during yearly summer vacations or other casual trips.
“The aid material was collected through friend circles. My wife was the first who carried over 20kg of relief items as a part of her luggage,” said Kondotty, adding that so far about three tonnes of aid material had been dispatched from his friend circle alone to Kerala. He said that this unique initiative helped delivering the aid very fast taking eight to ten hours only as the volunteers from local humanitarian organisations were available at the airports in Kerala to carry the relief goods to the beneficiaries at the affected areas.
Indian expatriates hailing from flood affected areas are being supported especially by their fellow citizens in Qatar. “I know an Indian expatriate, Taher, who received donation from his fellow citizens for the support of his family. Taher hails from a flood-hit village located in suburb of Kochi city. His family was forced to shelter in a camp as a major portion of his home was destroyed,” said Kondotty. “We offered to rebuild three houses destroyed by the flood,” said Joppachen Thekkekutt, General Secretary of Overseas Indian Cultural Congress (OICC).
He said that under OICC relief campaign initially about four tonnes of food stuff like rice and sugar were delivered to the beneficiaries in shelter camps set up at different affected areas.
“Now we are preparing to provide school items like stationery, textbooks and bags to ensure the students go back to their schools,” said Thekkekutt, adding that people had lost everything in many severely affected areas.
Some Indian expatriates travelled to the flood-hit areas to render their services as volunteer to distribute relief material provided by the local people from their town.
“I came back a few days ago from after 20-day trip to Kerala where I distributed flood among affected people,” said Kareem Abdullah, Community Coordinator and Consultant, Indian Community at Qatar National Human Rights Committee.
“Now I have come back to Qatar and gave first hand information to my friends about the destruction of flood. Many of them are ready to contribute and support rebuilding homes destroyed in the flood,” said Abdullah.
Indian businessmen also made generous contributions to mitigate the sufferings of people in their home country.
“Indian businessmen in Qatar are at forefront in making contribution for Kerala flood relief campaign,” said MS Bukhari, Managing Director of Satco Group.
He said that a number of his business friends and he himself had donated to a local organisation which was running the campaign to support the flood victims of Kerala.
“Almost all Indian organisations operating in Qatar are united at this hard time,” said Bukhari.
Firms operating in Qatar also extended their helping hand to support the flood victims. Safari Group extended a helping hand to the flood affected Kerala and handed over a cheque of Rs5m to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
A core committee of Indian community leaders has been constituted and working since the beginning of this natural calamity to provide support to victims.
The community provided medical aid in association with Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Qatar and India, cleaning and disinfectant materials, clothes and many more.
As present focus is on rehabilitation and reconstruction. It is aimed to raise as much funds as possible to support the needy, which will be sent to concerned the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
The core committee has started approaching all Indian based companies, community organisations, and members of the community to support this noble cause, as the loss is huge and state will not be able to meet the loss by its own means.
Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) under the patronage of Embassy of India is also running a campaign to collect donation over QR5m for humanitarian aid to flood affected people in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Kodagu district of Karnataka.
