My name is Hunger, my daughter is Thirst
Published on: Thursday, 11th June 2009 01:25 AM
By 
Administrator
Source: Rediff
Indrani Roy Mitra and photographer Dipak Chakraborty travel to Cyclone Aila-ravaged Sunderbans and witness untold suffering and misery amidst an apathetic relief effort mired in red tape.
"Didi, have you come to make news out of our misery? Want to know our names? Please write down, my name is Hunger and this daughter of mine, who lost her father at 5, is called Thirst", says a woman in her mid 20s carrying a half-naked child in her arms.
Out of 14 gram panchayats in Gosaba block, nine are badly hit and nearly 60,000 families are affected. Worst-hit areas include Amtakli Kumirmari, Chotomollahkhali, Lahiripur, Satjelia, Bally I & II, Kochuakhali, Gosaba, Rangabelia.
Having lived without proper food and drinking water for days, thousands of displaced people in the area are seething with discontent. And they are sick of politicians and journalists.
While they blame the former for capitalising on their plight to gain political mileage, they are tired of giving interviews to the media.
"You want to take our photographs, eh? Why don't you get us something to eat and drink instead?" thunders the woman, clad in a colourless sari torn in at least 10 places.
Source: Rediff