Aid disaster greater than the calamity
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When the Wayanad Mundakkai–Chooralmala landslide happened in 2024, the scientific community had classified it as as one of the 32 unusual weather events reported worldwide in that year. Everyone would agree that the floods, which claimed the lives of more than four hundred people, orphaned dozens of families and completely engulfed two villages, were worse than the great floods of 2018. Kerala is in the midst of efforts to rehabilitate the victims of the disaster and restore the villages that disappeared, with initial assessments estimating the damage at Rs 1,200 crore. As governments and voluntary organizations move forward in working together to create a new model for resettlement, one question often asked is: where does the central government stand in terms of leading resettlement efforts and providing the necessary financial support at this stage? That question now has an answer. The Modi government has unequivocally declared that it has no responsibility towards the victims of the Mundakkai and Chooralmala disasters, which claimed lives and livelihoods. Kerala was completely ignored when liberal aid was extended to BJP-ruled states devastated by natural disasters. Despite submitting two proposals that meticulously and comprehensively detailed the extent and impact of the disaster, only one-eighth of the requested amount has been approved after one and a quarter years. What else can this be called other than a grave injustice?
The Wayanad disaster occurred on 30 July 2024. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the disaster site on the tenth day, everyone expected him to make a significant announcement that would provide solace to the victims. Although he returned with photographs of himself cradling a child from a disaster-affected family, he gave an assurance that rehabilitation efforts will not be hampered by lack of funds. Many interpreted the Prime Minister’s message as one of the Centre’s unwavering support for Kerala’s rehabilitation efforts. The state government had already sent two letters to Modi demanding that the Wayanad landslide be declared a disaster of severe intensity and a national calamity. A week after the visit, a memorandum for Rs 2,262 crore was also submitted to the government based on the initial assessment. In addition, a Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) of Rs 2,221 crore for rehabilitation was conducted and submitted to the Centre. After that, the Centre was approached separately to write off the loans of the disaster victims. There was no favorable response to any of these. The demand to declare it a national disaster was rejected as far back as in November on the grounds that the Disaster Management Act of 2005 has no provision for a natural calamity to be declared as a ‘national disaster’. Not only that, the Centre has also said that under the current law, the primary responsibility for disaster management lies with the states. The Centre had also stated that the money required for relief operations should be taken from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), pointing out that Rs 394.99 crore was available for this purpose. The Modi government also left it for the state to handle the demand for writing off loans. Meanwhile, the total amount received under the Special Assistance for Capital Investment (SAFICI) scheme was only Rs 529.50 crore; that too was a loan. In short, the state has not received a single rupee for relief, despite the scale of this natural calamity, apart from what came through the SDRF. Now, based on the PDNA report, Kerala has been granted Rs 260.56 crore. It is to be remembered that the request was for Rs 2,221 crore. .
This is only the latest example of how central aid is turning into a bigger disaster than the disaster itself. This is a continuation of the usual discrimination against opposition-ruled states. While Rs 4,645 crore has been approved for Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, Kerala received only a meagre share of this. The high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 2,160 crore for BJP-ruled Assam. This discrimination is also seen in this year’s SDRF allocation. While Assam was given Rs 751 crore, Kerala received only Rs 306 crore. This negative approach by the Centre is sure to slow down the rehabilitation of Wayanad. The estimated cost of rehabilitation is Rs 2,262 crore. Even if all the money sanctioned now and the SDRF funds are used, the state government will still have to find its own sources to cover the deficit of Rs 2,000 crore. The new stance of the Centre, which is tantamount to financially squeezing Kerala in many ways by withholding well-deserved assistance and curtailing tax allocations, cannot be a coincidence. Therefore, all who believe in democracy, regardless of the ruling or opposition party, must stand together against this discrimination.
