"The United Nations has characterized the destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan as greater than the damage from the 2004 Asian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. Yet nearly three weeks since the floods began, aid is trickling in slowly and reluctantly to the United Nations, NGOs, and the Pakistani government."
I visited Pakistan nearly 4 years ago to assist my mentor Walt Ratterman on a training. I loved every moment of the trip--from crossing the border via bus, to making new friends in Lahore, meeting old friend Islamabad, and getting to know Walt's colleagues and students.
...When the earthquake struck Pakistan, a couple of years before my visit, I was in India and made firm plans to "go help". Due to a family event, although I got a visa, I did not go then; and instead went later with Walt.
...Yet now, it has been 3 weeks and only now I am realizing the extent of the damage from the floods!! ...Only now am I doing the internet searches and contacting friends for un-biased information, from the field.
I feel like a hypocrite waiting so long to take stronger interest in the situation. Something about floods versus earthquake/tsunami that delayed my interest. I'd been following the situation-to-be in Afghanistan, but I became too busy this month for Pakistan.
I often argue for Islam when I hear biases against it. ...Realizing that others' biases against Muslims may have slowed aid for the flood victims ("Why Doesn't the World Care about Pakistanis"), I feel that I should especially be taking interest in the floods to see how we can help.
...I am still working on my thesis, hoping to get my sitar tuned tomorrow, planning my exercise regiment, seeing friends/family plan Labor Day breaks...all the while, an entire country is set back by decades.
3 comments:
Thanks Dipti for your feeling for flood affected people of Pakistan.
I am Fareed, Student of Walt at solar Training at NUST Islamabad.
Hi Fareed! Thanks for your note. I hope all is well for you. ...You must have heard that Walt passed on this year, in the Haiti earthquake. You were very lucky to be one of his students!
thankyou for this post, Dipti. it sounds like you're still doing such inspiring work. i hope you're doing well and ROCKING. (it's been a while! i don't know if you still remember me! =))
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