The government is unlikely to accept any foreign financial assistance for flood relief operations in Kerala, official sources said. They said government has taken a considered decision to rely solely on domestic efforts to tide over the situation.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has offered USD 100 million (around Rs 700 crore) as financial assistance for flood relief operation in Kerala.
However, the Indian government is likely to politely decline this generous sum.
Around three million Indians live and work in the UAE out of which 80 per cent are from Kerala. The floods in Kerala, worst in a century, have claimed lives of 231 people in this month besides rendering over 14 lakh people homeless.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, called up Prime Minister Modi and made the offer for assistance, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Thiruvananthapuram.
There has been some outrage, particularly on social media about the Modi government not accepting foreign aid for Kerala floods. They are actually following a tried-and-tested policy put in place by former PM Dr Manmohan Singh in 2004.
According to government sources : “We are following the policy since 2004 and have been turning down assistance from foreign governments since then. In Kerala also, we are sticking to that policy.”
They are following a policy which Dr Singh’s government took a call during the 2004 tsunami not to accept foreign aid. India had earlier accepted aid from foreign governments during the 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake, 2001 Gujarat earthquake and 2002 Bengal cyclone.
In December 2004, Dr Singh had taken a call stating that India could cope with the situation. In the 2004 tsunami, the states of Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands were affected, killing more than 12,000 people and 6 lakhs were displaced.
Since, then India has refused aid from Russia, US and Japan in 2013 Uttarakhand floods, 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2014 Kashmir floods.
The MMS government decided that India has the capacity to handle disasters. Also, accepting aid from one country would mean accepting aid from all, which can be akin to opening the Pandora’s box in terms of international relations. It was also a sign of India’s economic clout as it has donated aid in all neighbouring countries during their natural disasters.
However, foreigner individuals and NGOs can donate through proper channels.
With inputs from PTI
