“It is also very strange to find why the Government is reacting so sharply to the European Union making its contribution to alleviate the suffering of the people affected by the hailstorm reportedly through its partner NGO called ADRA”, observes MSAD.
TFM Desk
In a rebuttal to the response of the Government of Manipur over the announcement of Rs 2 Crore aid by the European Union for Manipur hit by hailstorm and heavy rains, Manipur Students’ Association (MSAD) on Wednesday asked “Why should they stop victims of natural disasters from receiving humanitarian aid” from the same source?.
The EU had stated that the aid will be delivered by its humanitarian partner ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) and it would benefit more than 1,500 most vulnerable families hit by hailstorm and heavy rain in Manipur in early May.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, MSAD termed the Manipur government statement as “strange”. “To our understanding, no government authorization is required for NGOs and civil society to respond to natural calamities. In fact the civil society has always been responding to societal crises all the time irrespective of the “government authorization”, claims MSAD.
“It is also very strange to find why the Government is reacting so sharply to the European Union making its contribution to alleviate the suffering of the people affected by the hailstorm reportedly through its partner NGO called ADRA”, observes MSAD.
MSAD also pointed out that “our government is inviting foreign investment for their own projects. With great fanfare even the G-20 Summit meeting was hosted to woo “Foreign Direct Investments for development”. But why is the same government so much against the basic humanitarian aid reaching out to the most vulnerable and affected communities of a natural disaster?”, asked MSAD
The student body said that every Manipuri knows how inadequate the government support and assistance on the ground is. Most of the victims are still left high and dry to fend for themselves with their own device, said MSAD.
“The impact of the so-called rupees 30 crore sanctioned by the Government is yet to the seen on the ground. The red tape involved in his distribution of these government aids through its own challenge is well known to everyone”, said MSAD.
The student organization also pointed out that “the hardships of the people are already compounded by the present flood not
to talk of the total economic meltdown due to the ongoing year long unresolved ethnic conflict. The people of Manipur, specially the most affected people, owe an explanation from our Government. Why should they stop victims of natural disasters from receiving humanitarian aid from a friendly inter-governmental organization like the EU?, asked MSAD.
It may be mentioned that in a recent statement, Manipur Shief Secretary Vineet Joshi had stated that no relief was undertaken by the European Union (EU) and its humanitarian partners in the state. He said all financial requirements in connection with the recent storm were being met from the available National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
“No NGOs or civil society organisations have been entrusted to carry out the relief work. A sum of Rs 30 crore has already been sanctioned by the state government to the deputy commissioners of the concerned districts,” the chief secretary added in the statement. Joshi stated that any reports of assistance made by the European Union were “totally false and untrue”.
Joshi’s reaction came after the EU had announced that it had made the fund available to its humanitarian partner — Adventist Development & Relief Agency India (ADRA) — to “prioritise the distribution of food and emergency shelter kits to help affected people”. The ADRA will carry out the relief works in the state, with the aim of benefitting “1,500 most vulnerable families”, the EU said.
The EU statement issued by Delegation of the European Union to India and Bhutan also said the funding was made available via the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), a department of the European Commission headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
Here, it would be pertinent to mention that National Disaster Management Plan, 2019, A publication of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India. November 2019, New Delhi in its Article 13.2, Accepting Foreign Assistance states:
As a matter of policy, the Government of India does not issue any appeal for foreign assistance in the wake of a disaster. However, if the national government of another country voluntarily offers assistance as a goodwill gesture in solidarity with the disaster victims, the decision on acceptance of all such offers vests solely with the Central Government. The primary responsibility for reviewing such foreign offers of assistance rests with the Ministry of External Affairs which will consult and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
All offers of assistance from foreign governments will be routed through the Ministry of External Affairs. Offers of assistance in-kind, including technical assistance, emergency rescue teams, reconstruction assistance, etc. will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will assess the requirements based on inputs from the concerned State governments.
In the case of contributions from NRIs, PIOs and foreign non-governmental bodies such as Foundations, etc. such donations may be accepted through the Prime Minister’s and Chief Minister’s relief funds. All other donations from foreign non-governmental ones to Indian non-governmental ones must be compliant with extant regulations, including the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010.