Politicised Relief

Amid allegations and allegiances, the election clamour has been set off in poll-bound state. The latest wordplay came from Congress president Sonia Gandhi while campaigning for former renegade-turned-congressman Usman Majid in Bandipore. While addressing an election rally, Gandhi accused BJP of playing politics over providing relief to flood victims of J&K state.

What Gandhi said while campaigning isn’t a revelation of sorts. The politicisation of relief was known since the days of deluge. Though Gandhi took her time to admit the obvious; but all said and done, she ended up highlighting the miserable plight of flood victims apparently forgotten in poll process. Going gaga over vote venture, both state as well as central government has apparently flushed out the mounting frustrations of flood victims from their minds. While crores have been reportedly cashed to woo voters, no penny is being pumped to arrange permanent sheltering of those who are still putting up in makeshift tents.

So when Gandhi is saying: BJP at the centre promised the sky for flood-hit but didn’t follow it up with action; she didn’t create a furore; though her admissions are quite appreciative keeping the gross negligence faced by flood victims.

But yes, her admissions have candidly highlighted the political side of relief. Earlier, the winter capital of state was given fifty per cent out of (Rs 700 crore) Modi’s Diwali bonanza to flood victims when the summer capital relatively suffered heavy losses. The move was apparently taken to appease people in Jammu in a poll-bound state. With Amit Shah frequenting Jammu, there are prizes of guessing, the motive behind the move.

However, Gandhi was right when she said polls are taking place at a time when people of Kashmir are yet to come to terms with flood devastation. Most of the households have suffered damage beyond repairs. And so far, they have received a paltry sum of assistance. With already dawned winter, the plight of flood ravaged people in poll frenzy state can be anybody’s guess.

But what Gandhi is admitting now, the flood victims have been crying hoarse about the same since the days when valley started recuperating from the impact of deluge. But then, some cries are meant to fall on deaf ears!

Amid this scenario, Gandhi struck comparison, saying the UPA government gave “succour” to the earthquake victims in 2005; while, she says BJP failed to give the same to the flood victims in 2014.

With preliminary estimates suggesting Rs 100000 crore flood loss to valley, the state government submitted package of Rs 44,000 crore for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood ravaged state is yet to being considered.

But what Gandhi now beats bush about is contradictory as her party also preferred polls over rehabilitation. Indeed, power politics knows no compassion.

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