There have been many attempts to politicise the recent Kerala floods and some unseemly political and media one-upmanship on display recently. However, most sane thinking Indians have refused to be drawn into this; we have seen humanity triumph in the end. We have seen ordinary Indians help and ordinary Keralites rise to the occasion putting everything at stake. Even the local authorities and groups swung into action with alacrity; so when #ProudToBeMalayali was trending, few of us were surprised.
Perhaps it was a reference to some comments made on social media as well as the comments about the people of Kerala (inaccurately) ascribed to Indian TV’s Mr ‘Boom’bastic that prompted this tweet.
There has been a lot of reportage on how the state machinery swung into action and how the ordinary citizens also banded together to help and to offer succor to the distressed and dispossessed. The common people have also been deeply thankful and supportive of the disaster relief operation teams, army, navy and air force personnel, who, as usual were at the forefront of rescue and relief operations.
Tharoor also evoked the history of Kerala, which is known to have a proud and resolutely multi-faith tradition and a history of accepting and imbibing new thoughts and beliefs from elsewhere.
The way that citizens’ groups and the government machinery has worked in tandem, sets a positive example for the rest of the country in terms of the right way to respond to a natural calamity.
The people of Kerala are justifiably proud of their inclusive and diverse traditions and the people band together whenever there is need, this tweet indicates.
According to reports, not only were relief camps quickly set up, they were well equipped to look after people in need. When people left the camps; they made sure they left the areas spick and span. The UNICEF team that visited one of the camps was so impressed that this is the entry they left in the visitors’ book.
India's most literate state clearly has its priorities sorted... even during times of great trouble.
Even as resources were mobilised quickly for rescue and relief as well as for rebuilding, the people of Kerala are already introspecting about the causes of the flood and looking to put into place measures to prevent such a catastrophe occurring again.
This was the question on the minds of everyone; even those Keralites living elsewhere in India and even in foreign countries.
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