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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday September 11,
2005
With the heavy rains of
the weekend bringing back memories of the horror of July 26, over one
thousand people turned up to submit their written depositions to the
Concerned Citizens’ Commission, at its seventh public hearing. Amidst
all the ‘commonplace’ tales of loss of property and recurring illnesses,
additional information did emerge.
Shaikh Mohammed Salim,
of Mohini village near Urdu High School had returned home for lunch on
July 26. After waiting in vain for the rain to let up, he and his
friends decided to return to work. The road outside the Urdu High School
was flooded, and the school kids, many of them very young, were trying
to get home through the waters. Salim and his four friends realized the
gravity of the situation and started helping the children get home,
physically carrying them one by one where necessary. Salim himself
plucked one kid from the swirling waters, saving him from a near-certain
death.
Another common
allegation among the affected people was that relief material and money
was only distributed in areas that voted for the ruling MLA Nasim Khan,
irrespective of whether the recipients had been affected or not. On
September 6, 2005, when social worker Chandra Rai from Jan Jagruti
Kendra complained, she was threatened, allegedly by the MLAs henchmen.
The Saki Naka police station however, only registered this as a
non-cognizable offence.
The siphoning of aid
material would also appear rampant. Many of those deposing complained
that in of the 10 kg of rice they were entitled to, they got only eight,
and instead of five litres of kerosene they received only four.
That the CCC’s hearings
and the response it is receiving has disquieted politicians was clear
from the rumours being spread. Activists of the Samajwadi Party were
apparently telling people that the SP was distributing relief at the
venue, which led to hordes of people turning up. After volunteers with
the CCC clarified that this was only an enquiry, many of them stayed
back to depose. “No one has come to us with aid or to see how we have
been affected”, was a common refrain.
The CCC now moves to the
Tatanagar Social Welfare Centre, Dhanaji Malusare Chowk, Govandi West
for a hearing on September 13, 2005, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact:
Debi Goenka 98200 86404
or Dolphy D’souza 98202 26227
Ashish Fernandes 98190
11429
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