Alphabetically Assam would stand second in the list of states of India, otherwise it is a state that that is known very little of among the states following it. It would not be farfetched to say that most would not know the capital of this state that has a population of around 3 crores. Assam for the rest of the countrymen is more recognized for its tea and being the gateway to its sister states in the north east.
“FLOODS” is not uncommon in various parts of the country, what is common is the preferential treatment that states and cities receive according to the economic and political capital during a natural calamity. Floods in Assam are an annual phenomenon for various reasons that are manmade as well as environmental. What is dismaying is the abject apathy towards the state and its people during this crisis. The indifference is not just from the wagering politicians across the spectrum and the vulturous media that always eyes the size of a calamity; it is the nonchalance of the fellow countrymen towards the crisis hit Assam brethren that is heart breaking.
As a country we have always come together when a particular region is badly affected, the social media goes on an overdrive, countless images of the calamity and pictures of people hit in the strife floats around driving the population of the country to help the dented region. It is also the stagy “PR” of everyone and everything that counts who hike the “HELP THEM” bandwagon that overwhelmingly manages to tide over the catastrophe, resulting in a “feel good” avatar.
It could be the habit (of being used to), the resilience, the grit, the determination, or the pride that forces the people of Assam to not indulge in seeking sympathetic attention during an emergency of such magnitude. What else could explain a situation that befalls annually, where more than 10 lakh people get displaced, homes disappear in seconds and everything around you floats in dead motion, be it things, vehicles, animals or people and yet, the national media organized and unorganized or the populace of the country wears a mask to.
It is a matter of shame that most of the countrymen have turned a blind eye to a region that is fighting not just the pandemic, but also this devastation in what seems to be a double blow. Yes, they would not ask for help or seek help from us, but it is time for us to wake up to this annual disaster and find ways and means to do our bit to help them survive. We don’t need sad, lost and damaging pictures to do our bit. We don’t need people screaming and crying for help for us to loosen our strings. Let us for once help without being asked to help.
Let us stop being an ass and be ASSAM!!
