When is our government ready? Even after disaster strikes it takes weeks to rescue people!
Our politicians seem to be holidaying forever on public money...its high time people themselves become proactive and save the future of our nation!

Madhuri, I never knew that this recent splurge of floods has rendered 3 million people homeless. This would happen every year but the government does nothing at all. States like Assam get entirely washed out and then the rest of the time the errands are restricted to re-establishing things. When it comes to floods, I feel somewhat ashamed in saying that India is the most under prepared country in the world.

Atul,
Yes, it is such a national shame! Still our media doesn’t highlight these issues. I was watching BBC coverage of Bihar floods...we look worse than Africa!

Even WB is prone to floods and each year government is caught unaware and relief never reaches the needy. Local politicians and administration love mismanaging the relief operations and granted funds. Its disgusting!

And our politicians continue to spin illusions about India ’shining’, while rural India is still plunged in darkness...

Talking about the media Madhuri- They are bothered about facts that swell their TRP ratings. They have nothing to do with the plight of the people that suffer. As i’ve said before, KHOONI BARISH or HAWA MEIN MACHLI is more important to them than such miseries. This is clearly the distinction that differentiates BBC from AAJ TAK or Star NEWS or any other local news network for that matter.

Everything in the end becomes a great conspiracy against the poorest and they accept it as some ill-fate!
I hope suffering majority learns to stand up and protest against such repeated inaction. Their strength lies in their numbers...only they can teach corrupt officials, politicians and even media a lesson...

Well said Madhuri-the only chance they have lies in their great numbers. They are doomed with democracy corrupted to the core and thus they have to take a stand for themselves. But, someone has to make them realize that they are being cheated. In most cases, that someone is a politician. Say for instance Mamta Banarjee in Bengal. She is doing nothing but exploiting the poor. The only thing that could have changed the lives of the poor peasants was the TATA plant but Mamta took this as an opportunity to get back into popularity by reversing the dream of the TATAs.

The real force to reckon with is EDUCATION. It is the only weapon which makes an individual realize that his nominated minister is cheating on him directly on indirectly.

Right, Atul, maybe politicians realise that education can become a weapon for the poor and hence they have neglected it for so many years. They have broken backbone of poor by ruining health and education sectors!

It is a man-made conspiracy against the poor...it’ll be hard uphill task to undo all this damage...

All of this is interconnected. You are right Madhuri! EDUCATION is one force that can change the state of a country forever provided the politicians cherish such a dream. All this development talk is bogus unless the country is educated. Somehow the education factor has to be taken seriously. IDEA. LOL!! I can’t find a way to end this!!

The government was ready. It was ready to beg for relief. For that, it had to go slow on maintenance, not take precautionary steps, not educate the masses, fail miserably on governance at all fronts. They did it superbly. The relief funds will be siphoned off and distributed thorugh their party workers. Every one down the chain whether it be a government employee or a political worker, is going to get his cut of commission. The distress of Bihar is an opportunity to mint money for these exploiters.

Atul,
We can only do what is within our access and ability. I guess by highlighting miseries of the poor and true shortfalls of the system, we are stepping in where conventional media is failing, so lets continue to do our bit and hang on to ever elusive hope...

Yes, its a grim reality we cannot escape!

I guess that ends it pretty well Madhuri- To work towards a direction the conventional media refrains from is our purpose and we are doing it pretty well by informing as many people as we can through this adorable medium we call Instablogs.

The lethargy of Government is quite a normal state.

We have a reactive government who is never ready for anything and politicians across parties can only think of quick-fix and blame-game after any disaster or natural calamity... they thrive because we Indians have a very poor memory... These floods in Bihar will be forgotten in couple of months and life will go on as it was.

Atul,these govt’s always fails.These floods in some case may be prevented.Now with Nepal is in Maoist hands the situation may get worsen in future.

LOL....you are correct, these news channels have gone the ekta kapoor way by adding too much dramatic dialogs, sound effects and stuff for news like aarushi murder case or some alien spotted somewhere.

But there is no emphasis when it comes to such grievous disasters :(

Bottom line - Human life is of no value to Indian government.

Deepa, the Indian government will give value to the lives of ordinary Indians only when the rest of the population gives some value. Don't forget we make the governments with people we choose to represent us. A government can only be as good as its supporters are. It is our own reflection.

Because government has no time for such type of works. government busy in fighting with opposition, and buttering of America.

Sumit, sadly majority of the votes come from rural locations who thrive on jerk politician’s temporary sympathy. These poor ppl cannot see beyond their own suffering to understand that in long run, these same vote-beggars will ditch them.

Your words ”A government can only be as good as its supporters are. It is our own reflection.” are not justified. Do we have a choice? All most all of the politcians out there have a tarnished past or present. It is precisely for this reason that somany ppl dont beleive in voting durign elections.

When the goverment itself is not stable, what to talk about the stability of the common mass, poor folks. They are bound to scatter with each and every natural or artificial disaster. Goverment should take measures for these situations much before the season, not right at that moment. That’s why evrythig fails. If not tatally ckecked, still the destruction of lives could have been minimized with necessary steps.

There appears to be some confusion here. Politicians are not the government. They are part of the government. Basic duty of the legislators is to legislate. Are Bihar floods due to failure of legislation or politicisation?