Asian earthquake disaster
Eyewitness account from Bagh, by Khalid Bhatti
OUR JOURNEY to the devastated city of Bagh in
Kashmir in a truck loaded with aid donated by Lahore’s working-class
communities was one the most emotional and painful that we have ever
experienced.
The first shock we received was when we reached
Rawalakot (another affected city in Kashmir). We expected a totally
destroyed city. Instead, we saw the big houses of the local ruling elite
standing on their feet without any damage. This was contrary to the TV
reports, which never mention this fact. The posh area of Rawalakot
seemed unaffected by the quake. Anyone could get a wrong impression if
they only went through the posh area, but after entering into the poor
areas of Rawalakot, the real devastation can be seen.
The Combine Military Hospital was completely
destroyed, killing hundreds of people. Government buildings, schools and
colleges were also turned into rubble. But the shops and shopping
centres survived this devastating earthquake. This clearly shows that
the question of decent housing is not ‘irrelevant’, as many official
commentators have claimed. The road from Rawalakot to Bagh was in very
bad shape and almost non-existent in many places. We hardly saw any
houses that were not destroyed. We saw hundreds of people sleeping along
the road without any shelter during an extremely cold night. There were
many people even without blankets.
When we entered Bagh city, there was no power, the
whole place was in darkness. We reached our camp in the destroyed
Government Boys High School building. This camp had a tent to store the
food and blankets. All TURCP members slept under an open sky. We were
given a sleeping place in one room (which was semi-destroyed), the only
remaining part of the school building. We saw around 500 people
demonstrating against the authorities and government for not providing
tents. They remained there for two hours. The bitterness can be seen on
every face in this completely destroyed city. The pain, frustration and
fear can be seen in the eyes of the people who survived the quake.
We experienced the fear in the morning when a strong
aftershock forced us to run out of the room we were sleeping in. A few
minutes later another aftershock forced us to abandon the room and sit
and sleep in the open. Soon we were soaked to the skin from heavy rain.
Trade union activists, members of Socialist Liberation (CWI Kashmir) and
Socialist Movement Pakistan (CWI Pakistan) told us that they have
suffered these aftershocks and rainy weather for the last week. This is
the life of all the survivors in Kashmir and the North-West Frontier
Province.
We visited the city in daylight and it looked like
no houses and buildings ever existed there before. We found it difficult
to stand in the main street for even a minute because of the smell of
decaying bodies that was coming out of the rubble. The most painful
experience was the visit to Spring Field School where more than 700
students (from ages five to 14 perished). A few women were still calling
for their children and crying. Hundreds of bags of sweets and shoes are
still there, telling of the horrifying suffering of the students who
perished. Hundreds of students are still buried under the rubble of the
Degree College. Every family had casualties. Everyone is grieving. We
met many people who lost their whole family. People are still in shock
and emotionally shattered.
But the mood of working-class people is very angry.
They feel betrayed by the Kashmiri ruling class and Pakistani
government, which responded late and slowly. We spoke to many people and
they all showed their complete mistrust of the ruling elite. This hatred
and anger will increase in the coming days.
The conditions are worst in the villages in the
mountains. When we reached there, it was the first help they had
received. The women, children and elders were not only without food but
also without blankets and clothes. There is no road in the mountains.
Many people carry their injured relatives on their backs 20 to 30 miles
to the field hospital in Bagh. Many people walk 30 to 40 miles without
food and water to see relatives. All the houses on the mountains have
been completely destroyed. These villages have been turned into
graveyards.
SOCIALIST LIBERATION and Socialist Movement
members from Kashmir and Pakistan immediately went to the affected
areas to help the comrades, trade union activists and their families.
Our members spent many nights without food or warm clothes. Azad Qadri,
National Organising Secretary of the Trade Union Rights Campaign
Pakistan (TURCP) has been working in the affected areas of Bagh.
We saw the respect our members have in the local
communities when a mob of 300 desperate people tried to loot a camp
set up by a Kashmiri group to distribute aid and medicine. Even the
military personnel were not able to control the situation. Azad Qadri
along with other activists intervened. When we asked why they were
trying to loot the camp, they said that they wanted equal and fair
distribution of aid. Azad made a brief speech and they unanimously
accepted his proposal as to how the food and aid should be
distributed. Now our members have been running this camp without any
trouble for the last few days. TURC Kashmir and Pakistan are not only
involved in the relief work but are also making every effort to unite
political activists and trade unionists in Bagh and Rawalakot. We are
trying to develop a campaign to build a strong trade union movement
but also to organise the affected working-class people to get decent
housing, health, education, employment and compensation.
Disaster affects the poorest most
Funds needed urgently
"I NEVER saw such devastation in my whole life. We
are without food, medicines, water and electricity. We desperately
need medicines, warm clothes and tents. Please help us otherwise we
all will die". Sardar Khalid Mehmood, President of the Paramedic Staff
Association Kashmir, in Muzafarabad.
Whole families, villages and towns have been wiped
out by the earthquake of 8 October. Government agencies and the army
have not even reached many affected areas. The death toll is already
60,000. Millions have been affected. Six members of the TURCP and
Socialist Movement Pakistan in Kalam (Swat Valley) were tragically
killed by the quake.
The worst affected have been the poorest workers
and peasants. Emergency services have simply collapsed. Last year, the
Musharraf government spent 45% of its budget on the military and only
1.3% on the health service. Clinics are filled to overflowing. School
buildings have been left dilapidated for decades by successive
governments.
Millions of Pakistani and Kashmiri workers and
youth have given food, clothing and money. But the government has not
matched this with action on the ground. Western governments have given
meagre aid, yet Bush has spent over $66 billion on military operations
in Afghanistan.
A response from activists and trade unionists is
vital. Many aid agencies will be collecting. Unfortunately, this will
be distributed by the same corrupt government whose policies increased
the death toll. The TURCP is appealing for trade unions to make
donations which will go directly to help workers and trade unionists.
The money will also be used to build unions in affected areas and to
campaign to ensure that the rebuilding is carried out in the interests
of the working class and poor, and that big business does not profit
out of people’s suffering.
All donations will be acknowledged and regular
reports will explain how the donations are being used.
Our campaign has set up a bank account in London
for collections outside Asia.
Please make cheques payable to: TURCP.
Send to: Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan, PO Box 52135,
London E9 5WR, Britain.
Or by bank transfer to:
TURCP
Account number: 0574699
Sort code: 30-95-03
Leytonstone Lloyds TSB Branch
797-799 High Road Leytonstone
London E11 4QS
If sending a bank transfer, please email the details to:
turcpakistan@yahoo.com (or by post to the TURCP address).
TURCP was set up in April 2005 to help coordinate
support for workers’ struggles against the neo-liberal agenda of the
World Bank and International Monetary Fund which is followed slavishly
by the Musharraf government.
The following Pakistan unions have backed the
campaign: Railway Workers Union Workshops, PTCL Joint Workers’ Action
Committee, PTCL Lions Union, Postal Employees Union, Muthida Labour
Federation, Informal Sector Workers’ Organisation, Teachers’ Union,
Commercial Workers’ Union Lahore, RMS Employees’ Union, Pakistan State
Life Staff Union, Agriculture Workers’ Union.
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