Day #24: Political pettiness and optical priorities...

12th April 2020:  Chennai has been known for volunteerism during times of disaster. It is a character of the city that is unique, valuable and has been displayed in every situation of distress or disaster since 20 years now that I have observed it. 

My first encounter with the Chennai city's large heart and volunteer nature was putting together a voluntary effort post the Gujarat Earthquake in Bhuj way back in early 2000s. In no time we had over 40 relief material collection counters and a large number of volunteers working towards collection, sorting and packaging of relief materials that we manage to send to Gujarat and reach to the needy people through  a network of agencies. During that campaign, we didn't collect money ourselves, only material and all other work was done by volunteers and the effort that we coordinated along with a large network only operated through phone and email and the team met almost 45 days after the campaign started. By then we had distributed relief material running into tens of lakhs. To be called to supply to the Indian Army and transport relief materials on behalf of the Gujarati samaj in Chennai was an acknowledgement of how effectively our volunteers team could coordinate  that campaign. 

The second time we shut down office and volunteered during disaster was after the tsunami in 2004-5. With the government working with great speed and focus, the role of civil society was only required for the first couple of weeks of emergency relief and later for clearing and reconstruction, of course. But, the lasting friendship that was created during the Gujarat efforts came in handy for us to do relief work during the post-tsunami period.  It was just before that we had met with the remarkable Anshu of Goonj. 

Subsequently, during the Uttrakhand earthquake as well, we joined hands with several other NGOs and managed to facilitate sending relief materials to Goonj. But having realized the challenge of the long distance, this time, we suggested people donate money so that Goonj can directly do the procurement in Delhi and it was heartening to note that there were several who donated to that campaign as well. 

In the 2015 Chennai floods, while being victims of the floods and having our house flooded, we were unable to coordinate any relief work, it was heartening to see the number of relief workers and youth doing so much amazing work in the city.  

In each of the instances (I am not adding the other instances of anti-GMO and other political and farming based campaigns here of which I have many examples as well), I can name the number of people, agencies, organizations that contributed to the effort voluntarily. It was not merely people offering to pick up the expenses or support with materials, it is also those who gave time for volunteering to sort, pack, deliver, liaison, attend to phone calls...the million small tasks that are important in any kind of voluntary effort of urgent nature. Even during ordinary times, from being the city with the maximum organ donors, to a large network of blood donors, unclaimed body funeral volunteers, those who voluntarily give shelter for abandoned people  to those who feed the birds and stray animals, this city has several levels of structured and much unstructured volunteers and civil society network.  Volunteerism runs in the veins of this city cutting across caste, class and religious walls and one of the most cherished aspects of this city. 

Anyone living in the city of Chennai would cherish this value and any sensible government would reach out to civil society in a situation where there is a need for additional hands and the govt. agencies themselves are crippled by lack of manpower, resources and competence as well. 

Since the beginning of the Corona threat and the curfew too, many organizations have taken it upon themselves to work, in most cases, after getting permission from the Chennai Corporation. This has ranged from supplying the provision needs for the elderly in their door step, providing food for the needy, ensuring that the animals in the roads are fed, ensuring that those who are emotionally disturbed during the lock down have someone to talk to, again a million things that need to be done which the government doesn't have competence or resources to always do. 

So, it comes as a surprise that the Tamil Nadu government issues a GO clamping down on the NGO and civil society efforts to distribute food to the needy during this time in the middle of a lock down.The trigger seems to be that there are too many photos of the same happening and some articles appearing in media that more food is served through NGOs than through government agencies. While this article was at the national level, the immediate issue of such an order in Tamil Nadu indicates the knee jerk reaction that the Central and State governments have had towards the civil society in this state since couple of years now. There is an attempt by the national media to portray Tamil Nadu as a state filled with secessionists NGOs and civil society players, and every instance of local violence has been twisted and stretched to suit this image. I had written earlier about how the village level recurring conflict between two families in one part of the state had been portrayed as a non-existent communal tension in the state.

The current state government apparently run by a coalition of convenient local chieftains, has found it safe to peddle the line of the central government ever since the hospitalization of Jayalalitha.   So, we hardly have  any decision made where there is even a  remote role for the central government or optics involved. The BJP in the centre wants to ensure that they gain as much political mileage as possible in being seen as providing relief.  On the day the GO appears, an RSS aligned corporate funded agency based out of Bangaluru signs to supply relief materials to  all of Chennai. The said agency seems to have sprung out of nowhere and branched off across India. almost in every city, using the local RSS workers. It is alarming to see governments falling in line with this venture set-up by an 'aggressive' (their own words to describe themselves) group of real estate moghuls and retail giant.   I cannot understand how corporations can agree for food supply to be only provided by a retail giant across the country simply because it is politically aligned with the current dispensation in a moment of crisis such as this. I can't understand how this is done by literally silencing / sidelining more sustainable local efforts that not only optimizes resources, but, also can be seen as an index of resilience among the local community members. 
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