INDIAN EARTHQUAKE
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The following has been received from the  LCI President :

Dear friends!

 
Just returning from Mid Term Meeting in Romania - I have received the following e-mail from National Vice-president LC India Sumedha Saraogi
 
"Dear Susanne,
You must have already read reports about the earth quake that hit India in the early hours of January the 26th. I am however providing you a link to this site which will tell you more about the disaster.
http://www.rediff.com/news/quake.htm
I would like to know if any of the member countries of Ladies Circle International can come forward to assist the quake victims ? We have Circles in Ahmedabad, Surat - the cities that are badly affected - and our work can be taken up through them.
 
Assistance could be in form of: 
- Cash contributions
- Medicines
- Clothes
any other?
 
I would be grateful for your views on this at the earliest.
 
Look forward to hearing from you,
Yours in circling,
Sumedha Saraogi
Vice-President Ladies Circle India
Rd. No. 72, Plot No. 85, 
Prashasan Nagar,
Jubilee Hills, 
Hyderabad-500 033
Tel: 0091-40-3545536(R), 6669021(O)
Fax: 0091-40-6669022"
 
I have told Sumendha - that I will do all possible to assist LC India - in their work to help the earth quake victims. 
 
I have asked Sumedha - to inform us if any Circler has suffered due to the earth quake - and for more practical things - as where to send collected assistance in form of medicine and clothes.
 
I have attached a list to fill in for all money contributions: National Boards, Clubs, Individual Circlers - lets try and reach at least 10.000� - that LC India - will be able to assist the victims of the earth quake. I will keep you informed - as I receive more news from LC India.
 
Please send your donation to the following account:
Unibank A/S Dalum Afdeling
Dalumvej 16-20
DK-5250 Odense SV
Denmark
Reg. no.: 2374 Account no.: 5494-708-207 Name: Ladies Circle International - Earth Quake India
Please register you name, club number and country.
 
I hope to hear from you very soon, if or how you want to take part in this collection for: Victims of the earth quake in India.
 
For working together as equals, yours
Susanne Noerager
President Ladies Circle International
 

We have also received first-hand accounts of the Indian Earthquake from Circlers and Tablers in India:

Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 8:44 AM
Subject: The Earthquake tragedy in India-An update.

Dear Ladies,
 
There have been so many of you writing and enquiring so kindly on the happenings in India that I thought it appropriate to keep you informed on the latest situation.  Thank you so much for all your letters of concern.
 
It's 11 days since the huge earthquake struck the Indian state of Gujarat. Whatever be the official numbers, it is certain now that nearly 100,000 have sadly lost their lives. This destruction in totality has ruined the rich and the poor. The local citizens  were the first to help.The charity organisations and Non-governmental organisations with the army followed suit.
Those families who have perished as a whole were blessed in a way. But, for the thousands who have lost only their children or parents, they are numb with shock.
This state has Round Tables and Ladies Circles in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat And Baroda. The 2 organisations have been working tirelessly in turns reaching food, clothing, water and medicenes to the villages destroyed.
After giving it a lot of thought Round Table India and Ladies CIrcle India have decided to use the monies coming in for re-building and re-construction as at the moment there are sufficient amounts of materials in kind for the victims. Probabaly we would take up 2-3 villages and concentrate on them. Plans are being drawn up by archetects and engineers.
 
The state of Gujarat with this earthquake has suffered a set back of a few decades and as for the people they have lost 
their entire life. Such has been nature's fury ! May God have mercy on them.
 
Ashwini Surendar
Ladies Circle India
 
Dear Friends,
 
I give below the message sent by Tr.Manoj Kapoor of Ahmedabad Round Table 40 situated in Gujarat in the region of the Earthquake. Tr.Manoj Kapoor is a Surgeon and a past Area Chairman of Area 3 of Round Table India.
 
They were one of the first people to have visited the areas worst affected by the earthquake. The Tragedy is of enormous proportions.
 
Immediate Relief work has been undertaken by the Tablers of Ahmedabad Round Table 40 and Surat Round Table 135 situated in the affected areas. Round Table India is providing all assistance to them in this effort.
 
After urgent relief if provided, the Mammoth task of reconstruction is still there where nearly a million people are homeless. Round Table India in coordination with the Tables in the region will chart out a long term plan of action.
 
For all this funds are required in large scale. I request all of you to assist us in this Task.
 
Regards
 
Ilango
Vice President
Round Table India
 
FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF THE GUJARAT TRAGEDY

This is the first  hand account of the visit we made to Bhuj .Tr Manish Bhanushali , who belongs to Bhuj and had his entire family there was a nervous wreck and wanted to leave for his native place alone . We discouraged him as we did not know the magnitude of the problems .However after 12 hours of the earthquake on the 27th ,when no news of his relatives came and all dreadful news started pouring in he decided to go . We decided that he cannot go alone and 3 of us ,Tr Manoj Kapoor , Tr Minesh Shah ,and Tr Nayan Shah joined and we started the 400 kms journey in 2 cars . Since the trunk route was closed ,we took alternate route and reached Bhuj in 8 hours . As we entered Bhuj district we started feeling the impact .
 
 
The highway which connects rest of the country to bhuj had developed major cracks and depressions ,though small cars could pass through .We were incidentally the first batch of outsiders reaching the place .Bachau the first major town and the town that has undergone the maximum damage has been raised to ground totally .Only two half erect houses are seen on the entire facade of the landscape . All the survivors had fled and lined up the highway to be picked up by out going traffic which did not exist .Lighting of pyres had already started and continued till the time we returned at  1.30 am  . A population of 50000 wiped out from the land either dead or fled .Bachau is 77  kms from Bhuj . After crossing Bachau we did not expect anything at all .All the small villages enroute were completely destroyed and grazed to ground . We entered bhuj at 8pm in pitch darkness and eerie silence . Luckily the damage that we saw initially was contrary to our expectations . All the buildings in the newer part of bhuj were significantly damaged yet had not collapsed . Though there was no electricity we could feel that human loss was not as compared to what we had seen earlier . On reaching the Tablers place we heaved a sigh of relief as  most of the local people had gotten together and saved as many as possible .After realising our first target ,we proceeded in the darkness to see what all had happened . The older city which was enclosed in olden day fort and housed more than 1.5 lakh people was completely destroyed .A conservative estimate puts the death toll at 50000 at this place itself .The heart rendering stories that were told to us cannot be reproduced .Heaps of rubble lay silent witness to gods wrath  . No intact building could be seen  .People had no supplies of any kind .The entire focus being Ahmedabad initially did not allow focus on bhuj .  A few  service organisations had started skeletal helping services . We stayed there  for 4 hours in which I met the doctors and came to know of thier requirements and also met officials and asked them of the intensity ,which was confirmed by them . The requirements of the doctors was immediately met by us and sent across .
 
 
We started our return journey at 11.30 pm and reached Ahmedabad at 8.30 am . At 6.30 am we were hit by another earthquake of 5.9 intensity . With gods grace and all  the friends blessings we accomplished a task which looked dangerous ,life threatening and next to impossible .
 
 
 
Tr   MANOJ KAPOOR .  
 

 


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