My two bits on the Chennai (TN) floods vis-a-vis Assam floods, media
coverage etc and what we can learn.
Did Chennai really get national media coverage? No, it didn't initially but citizens did not give a damn and didn't stop allow that to stop them from actually helping and acting on their own... they did not complain, did not whine but set about making news their own way. Media followed the Chennaites..it had to if it didn't want to lose face..so did the politicians. where there's honey, there will be bees.
Each one is helping the other... Twitter is abuzz
each sec with tweets asking for and offering help, normal
citizens like you and me are out in the streets bringing people to
shelters, distributing food, doctors are moving on their own to people
needing help, people are throwing open their homes to total strangers.
Chennai, whether we want to admit it or not, is a much bigger metro than Dibrugarh or Guwahati or any other city in Assam. It is the fifth-largest city and fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the country and 36th-largest urban area in the world. Chennai's economy of US$58.6 billion PPP(US$17 billion nominal GDP, 2010) is currently rated the fourth-largest economy in India. Disruption of corporate communications and industrial houses here obviously means more attention. Water levels were also extremely high, reaching up to first floors. Being the HQ of The Hindu, it obviously, as it should, got local 'national' news.
Instead of comparing and cribbing about govt and media attention being partial and Assam being treated poorly, let us try and learn how ordinary citizens can make a big difference without depending
on the govt. (central/state
both) Let's really stop blaming and whining
and actually start acting on our own. Each one doing whatever we can
when there is such a natural calamity or disaster. Media is not covering, what's the big deal? You become the media. Who's stopping you from flooding social media with reports of
your areas, putting up pics, everyone pitching in to help people. And
why do we have to wait for floods in Assam next year? Instead of comparing media
coverage, etc. right now, let us discuss why floods come, steps that can
be taken from now on to minimize damage/casualties, form groups for
this, motivate others. If there is a major drain blockage near your
house, why don't you let all of us know about it? If there is water
stagnation, why don't you take pics and share? Let's make a difference
ourselves. Aren't we tired of cribbing?
Did Chennai really get national media coverage? No, it didn't initially but citizens did not give a damn and didn't stop allow that to stop them from actually helping and acting on their own... they did not complain, did not whine but set about making news their own way. Media followed the Chennaites..it had to if it didn't want to lose face..so did the politicians. where there's honey, there will be bees.
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| Chennai floods |
Chennai, whether we want to admit it or not, is a much bigger metro than Dibrugarh or Guwahati or any other city in Assam. It is the fifth-largest city and fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the country and 36th-largest urban area in the world. Chennai's economy of US$58.6 billion PPP(US$17 billion nominal GDP, 2010) is currently rated the fourth-largest economy in India. Disruption of corporate communications and industrial houses here obviously means more attention. Water levels were also extremely high, reaching up to first floors. Being the HQ of The Hindu, it obviously, as it should, got local 'national' news.
Instead of comparing and cribbing about govt and media attention being partial and Assam being treated poorly, let us try and learn how ordinary citizens can make a big difference without depending
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| Dibrugarh floods |
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