They decide to write to President in their blood

By Manas Dasgupta

BHUJ (Kutch), MAY 2. Tempers of the quake-hit people in Kutch rise along with the temperature in the desert district. Dejected over the Gujarat Government's rehabilitation package, the people in some worst-affected urban centres have decided to write their fate in blood if that can move the authorities.

The package is nothing but a ``crude joke,'' according to them. ``The Government has simply cheated us, we have no faith left,'' says Dr. Shyam Sunder, convener, Group 2001, formed by the elite of Anjar, and describes the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, as a ``liar'' for making ``false promises.''

The convener of the Bhuj Resettlement Samiti, Mr. Ratnakar Dholakia, echoes the same view. ``The Government has gone back on its promise... What it has offered is far from the expectations of the people and is not acceptable to us.''

The Industries Minister and number-two in the Gujarat Cabinet, Mr. Suresh Mehta, who hails from Kutch and is in-charge for the district, however, disagrees. Only a ``handful'' are making noise, he says. ``It is more because of their lack of understanding. We will have a close interaction with them to remove their misgivings and I am confident they will suspend all agitations.''

The leaders of the agitating urbanites are in no mood to listen. The agitations, which started earlier separately in the towns of Bhuj, Bhachau, Anjar and Rapar, is threatening to become a concerted battle. The co-ordination committee to bring all the ``movements'' under one umbrella is under way to launch joint operations against the Government.

To begin with, the people of Anjar have decided to write 2001 letters in their blood to the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan. The idea may catch up with the people of the other towns and more such letters are likely to follow.

Resumption of the long march, terminated earlier in Ahmedabad in anticipation of a better rehabilitation package, is likely but this time the destination will be Delhi and not Gandhinagar. ``Our only hope now is the Centre and the President,'' according to Dr. Sunder.

The Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr. P. K. Laheri, in a letter on April 10, had informed the agitationists that some of their demands like bigger plots had been accepted by the Government and would be incorporated in the package, but it was not done. Organising a second long march would not be difficult, says Dr. Sunder. ``On the contrary, there will be 10 times more response than the first march, the package has turned the people totally against the Government.''

Several other methods of agitation are also being planned by the people, besides writing to the National Human Rights Commission and the members of the India-American Foundation, which is dominated by the Gujaratis settled in the United States.

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