Nature's Wrath
vs Human Benevolence
The last fortnight in the small state of Kerala in India was a huge, continuing nightmare for most people. God's own state saw a fury of nature hitherto unseen. Rain poured down from the open skies in tumultuous torrents drenching the earth up to its soluble levels and then poured out from its rim. Ponds, rivers, lakes, wells and dams started to sprout out water excessively since their stomachs too were full. Fearing a bigger calamity, shutters of some dams had to be opened which added to the fury of gushing water on the land. Much to our mute shock, we saw trees getting uprooted, hills getting flattened and mud thrown off its peaks, houses tumbling down to the ground and people fleeing in an exodus seeking refuge in safer place leaving everything behind. Hundreds of humans, thousands of beasts perished in this deluge; fields of crops, vegetables and fruits got destroyed in acres. Panicked cries could be heard from atop the houses from people whose houses got submerged in four to seven feet of sudden angry slush.
Then we saw another beautiful sight. The goodness of the human heart rising with a force surpassing the fury of rain and the flood. Millions of people rushed to the rescue of their fellow beings regardless of the myriad difficulties they themselves were facing. Rafts were built, fishing boats were carried inland, food, medicine, cloths and support poured from far and wide. Thousands of precious lives were saved. This wave of warmth that rose from the human heart still flows aplenty in this state.
The police department was one which did yeomen service at this time of need. Neither the officers nor the men had any formal training in rescue operations in situations such as this, of such grand scale natural calamity. Regardless of everything else, we saw the most efficient co-ordination, communication, management and operation of rescue by police, assisted effectively by the Revenue department, Fire Force and allied government departments. The government could call in perfect time central forces such as NDRF, ITBP, BSF, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel from their units within the state. Motor boats, rubber dingies, choppers were all operational in their full blast as commanded and controlled by the police. The rest is history, a feat which will be remembered in eternity as one of the best tasks the police department ever carried out in our state.
The Prisons department also did their bit of service during the Kerala deluge. "അണ്ണാറക്കണ്ണനും തന്നാലായത്!" (the squirrel also doing its best) All the inmates volunteered to work extra hours in the kitchen in various prisons to make food for rescue and relief camps. The department supplied over 20,000 packets of food and 50,000 bottles of water each day during from 16th to 27th August at the various camps as well as the cleaning areas post deluge. A matter of surprise was that the officials and personnel of NDRF, ITBP, Army, Navy and Fire Force demanded jail chappathies and curry for their requirement. We supplied packets of 5 chappathies and vegetable/chicken Kuruma to them also in large numbers.
The jail inmates willingly contributed from their meager wages towards the CM's relief fund which is yet to be handed over. The process is still going on. The prison officers too chipped in to provide cloths, bed sheets, pillow covers and essential articles at the various camps. We provided hot kanji to elderly people all nights in the Thrissur shelter. Prison's 'Freedom Food Factory' and Bakery units worked untiringly to feed breads, cakes, biscuits, chips and other snacks to those hungry ones at the camps. Various students who were busy with packing and distributing articles also tasted food made in prisons. I thank all the officers, staff and inmates of the department of Prisons for this humongous work.
Attached below a news which appeared in Times of India which talks of the activities carried out by the prisons in Trivandrum. Similar work was carried out by other Central Prisons, Open Prisons and District Prisons also, but the press as usual downplayed this department's initiatives. No worries, we didn't do it for publicity anyway.
Among the inmates there are over 500 people who are experts in electrical wiring, plumbing, masonry, drainage work and other construction work. They expressed their willingness to go to the places where houses were damaged and carry out various cleaning/repair works free of cost. Due to security issues, I have not allowed it so far. But our trainee prison officers were at Pathanamthitta District yesterday and today, cleaning up the flood hit residential areas and the relief camps.
Not all people inside the bars within the prison are bad. Most of them repent crimes committed by them and desire to serve the society especially in times such as these!
