How a responsive politician can make a difference
An Indian village named Bhaluri majority of whose residents belong to migrant Hindu families displaced in 1971 from Amarkot, Pakistan. Just 35 miles inside the international border of India and Pakistan is now an example of will and grit, after being destroyed from fire the village rose like a phoenix with initiative of EX Irrigation Minister Devi Singh Bhati & help of Indian society with hardly any government help.
Last week of April, a tragic fire gutted 140 huts of 40 families & with that they lost their documents related to property, identity, crop, cattle. Life ahead was looking gloomy and difficult ,Families lost shelter, kids lost the toys & school bags, farmers lost the cattle and farm equipment. Without food and shelter in the scorching heat of Thar desert in 110 Fahrenheit with hundreds of kids and women crying it was difficult to move an inch.
The district administration promised each of the ravaged families Rs 1 lakh as interim relief, which was delayed due to legal procedures and red tape. Getting government help was a longer route & they had to wait for government to verify the loss, send some temporary relief after various levels of approval for grants.
The Ex Kolayat Legislator a strong man from western Rajasthan Devi Singh Bhati had different plans, the 70 year old leader camped under a tree in desert along with his volunteers & started fundraising for building new homes for 40 families. Villagers started rebuilding & help started pouring in form of money, equipment, man power, building material, food supply and cattle. Villagers added in manpower for rebuilding and they were able to build new homes in 10 days. Each house now have a 9*15 foot room, a 9*9 foot kitchen and a structure for rainwater harvesting. Toilets are built under the government scheme, Swachch Bharat Abhiyan
(An Indian Federal Government Initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for cleanliness). Each house cost Rs 225,000 INR. Ex Minister Bhati ended his camp after 15 days once the construction of houses were completed and everyone shifted to their new home, he ended up setting an example of leadership for other world leaders to follow.
A NGO “Mast Mandal” from nearby city Gangashahar provide each family a sewing machine. The families devastated by the fire traditionally depended on embroidery for a living it’s a skill passed down from one generation to the other. In addition, philanthropists provided the families either a cow or five goats for an additional source of income.
The humanity and values shown by the Indian society for migrants from Pakistan is an example for international community in the modern day where we are seeing migration of millions of people in state of turmoil from countries like Syria.