September 10, 2003
Awakened Woman's Circle is working for peace
URGENT FLOOD APPEAL FOR WOMEN
AND THEIR FAMILIES IN CHHATTISGARH, INDIA
Global warming, the construction of massive dams and disregard for human life in other ways are together causing floods that are again claiming thousands of lives in India. Among the victims this time are the village women of the Chhattisgarh Women's Organisation (CWO) and their families.
In the Eastern states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, torrential rains continue to cause severe flooding. All 15 rivers in Chhattisgarh, known as the rice bowl of India, have overflowed. When the Hirakund dam, the longest in Asia, threatened to burst, the sluice gates were opened, flooding thousands of homes. Over one million families are now struggling to survive. Dalit and Tribal people, always the poorest, have been the worst affected, above all single mothers many of whom are widows. Many, especially children, have died. Before this tragedy, drought and temperatures of over 120 degrees F (much worse than the heat wave that caused thousands of deaths in France and England) had already claimed many lives.
Our sisters in CWO, a self-help organization of rural Dalit and Tribal women, told us "If you could see it, you would cry." Bodies are hanging in trees where they were swept by the floods. Whole villages of homes made of earth have been destroyed, leaving thousands destitute. People are trying to take shelter in the local Panchayats (village councils) but these cannot accommodate everyone. In addition to losing precious loved ones, families face the total loss of their few belongings, and have no income to replace it.
This is particularly painful as CWO women have painstakingly organized grain banks which for years have kept families in 400 villages from starvation. When the harvest is good every family contributes some surplus grain, so that in times of general famine or individual hardship, women can continue to feed their families and do not have to depend on uncertain food aid or on extortionate moneylenders to buy grain at inflated prices. Now they face starvation as these collective grain stores as well as rice, dahl and vegetable crops are ruined, and cows and goats have died. There are no medical facilities to cope with the spreading viral fever, diarrhoea and other illnesses from unclean water and sewage. The few places that had electricity are now without, preventing among other things vital email communication to get the news out and apply for help.
The national government has not organized any emergency relief. But it has this past week spent $1.6 billion on 66 Hawk Jets. One church agency is helping in 20 villages but there are 300 villages in one district of Chhattisgarh alone, and international aid agencies are absent. Local government help is limited to 200-500 rupees, ($5-$10) and even that goes only to a few homeless families, and a one-off ration of 7-10 pounds of rice. As in the recent flood in Argentina, corruption by officials is widespread.
They have been refusing the meagre compensation to households headed by women and are as usual discriminating against Dalit and Tribal families.
CWO is known to many outside of India, as every year it brings together over 5,000 women and girls, as well as men and boys who support them, to be part of the Global Women's Strike. Now our brave and organized sisters are walking for miles to find out what is happening and needed in each village, as roads are impassable. Those who still have homes are housing and feeding families with nothing. They and other grassroots community organizations are pressing local and national government to provide much more help and save lives.
We are raising money for our sisters in Chhattishgarh because
- They are in the best position to help as they are using their long established village-to-village network to get the essentials for survival: what women need to feed and clothe their communities, and as soon as the flood goes down, to rebuild their homes.
- They have a track record of fighting corruption, rape and other injustices imposed by government, police and employers, always struggling against tribal and caste divisions within their communities, on the basis of women's self-help.
The plight of these rural communities is being kept out of the news. We urge you to send as much as you can as soon as you can. Women in Dialogue, which fundraises for our Indian sisters as well as other Third World women, is taking charge of administering and passing on all the money collected to minimize bank fees. Donations are tax-deductible.
Invest in caring not killing.
The Global Women's Strike
Email: womenstrike8m@server101.com
To donate online using a credit card, please go to http://www.networkforgood.org/donate/index.html. You will need to go to Option #2 Organization Name and type in Women in Dialogue, then click on it when it comes up.
Click on "Donate Now". You can designate that your donation be directed to the India Flood Appeal.
To donate by check, please send your check payable to "Women in Dialogue"
and send to:
Women in Dialogue India Flood Appeal
Crossroads Women's Center
PO Box 11795
Philadelphia, PA 19101