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November 17, 2005
Rushdie: conscience
In an article in The Tornonto Star, Rushdie points out that suffering people should not be confused with politics.
But that seems to be the case in post- earthquake Kashmir, an earthquake that ignored lines of control and claimed lives and displaced people on both sides. To date 70,000 are dead and 3 million homeless. Pakistan and India cooperated for some earthquake relief but whether or not this will break the ice and bring everlasting peace to Kashmir is not, at the moment, the burning issue. Instead winter is about to freeze Kashmir over including all the displaced, young, old, infirm and children who are still stuck there for lack of helicopters to fly them out. Unfortunately no Narnia like situation where the White Queen will be vanqished and the frozen thawed back to life. I'm trying to understand institions suffering from donor fatigue in the wake of tsunamis and hurricanes and folk from perhaps being able to relate to a people they haven't vacationed amongst. Were the earthquake to have come before either tsumani or hurricane katrina, or even between the two, would it have made all the difference in the world? Can aid be so dependent on rank and empathy on tourism? I can't get out of my mind Mahrukh, infact just the picture of people shivering from cold for lack of sweaters, fires, protection.
(Rushdie link via: amardeepsingh)
Posted by Soniah Kamal at November 17, 2005 12:23 PM
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Posted by: Anonymous at November 17, 2005 12:23 PM
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