02-17-2005, 10:51 AM
From Sulekha
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->From: "Balaji Sampath"
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 22:14:21 +0530
Dear Friends and AID Volunteers,
At a time when so many people have been so understanding and have come forward to help in all ways they can and when so many volunteers from AID and the other groups we are working with have been working day and night to provide relief to the people affected by the Tsunami, it is sad to see this slander campaign against AID.
As I had mentioned frequently in my reports, we are working with DYFI (along with many other organizations) on the immediate relief efforts.  DYFI is affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is a legitimate parliamentary political party in India. Most of DYFI members are just ordinary laborers who have joined by paying a Re 1 membership fee - they are not even members of CPI(M).
When the Tsunami hit we were faced with the daunting task of providing immediate relief to a large number of villages across the state. The only effective way to do this was to link up with organizations that had a local base and to help them reach out to the villagers, while ensuring that
there is no discrimination or sectarianism and that we reach the most needy. To think about political affiliations at that point meant delaying the reach of relief materials to the most needy. This we were not ready to do. This is not just what some of us at AID-India felt - we had over 1000 volunteers
from software companies, working in many multi-nationals from Chennai and Bangalore - who worked alongside DYFI volunteers. Almost all of them found the DYFI volunteers working extremely hard and sincerely and ensuring quick relief reaches the most needy.
AID and DYFI are very different kinds of organizations. AID draws heavily on a large number of volunteers from the middle class who want to work with and help the poor. DYFI has mostly volunteers drawn from the poorest sections. The way the two organizations function are very different. AID is not affiliated to any political party and is an independent organization. Right
from the start we all saw the AID-DYFI collaboration as a clear short-term collaboration for ensuring quick relief to the most needy in remote areas. And it is not only that AID volunteers have problems working with DYFI in the long run. DYFI volunteers also have many problems working with AID!
But long run problems should not prevent us from reaching immediate relief where necessary. AID has been working not only with DYFI but with many other organizations - TNSF, PSF, Vidyarambam, Pratham, Sneham, Sneha, Bhoomika, Malar, AIMS, Nesa, etc. The point was to link up quickly with as many groups as possible to reach out relief efforts to all those who need it.
Some people have used this fact as an excuse to initiate a slander campaign against AID. They have called AID communist and have thrown around words like naxalites and violence. When I mentioned this at the AID office, our volunteers burst out laughing!
First DYFI and Naxalites don't go together. CPI(M) is a parliamentary constitutional political party. DYFI is linked to CPI(M) and is law abiding. Naxalites by principle are not.  Any of the thousand different volunteers from the various companies can tell you that the DYFI volunteers
they worked with were simple, mild-mannered people - very far from indulging
in violent actions.
Secondly, AID is not affiliated with DYFI or any political party.
Thirdly, AID firmly opposes the use of violence both in principle and practice, as shown by 13 years of work.
AID is a very open organization - a large number of first time volunteers from many MNCs and software companies landed up at our office and took on important responsibilities and many of them went to work with the DYFI (and to also work in pure AID centers as well). All our reports are put up on the web. Even our thought processes and discussions are on the web.
We had people from the United States Consulate office volunteering at the AID office. We had people from Colgate-Palmolive working with AID and DYFI volunteers in Nagapatinam. We had a large number of volunteers from software companies working side by side with DYFI volunteers lifting dead bodies. Even the district government has been utilizing DYFI's help in debris clearance and relief distribution. All these people are working with DYFI because DYFI volunteers are doing good work in the relief areas - and that is the priority now.
Independently of AID, I found the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries), working with and helping DYFI volunteers working on the relief efforts in Cuddalore.  I suppose that these people who slander AID would now say that overnight the entire Indian Industry has turned communist!
It is so heartening to see people from all sections of society come together to help the people suffering because of the Tsunami. It is really sad to see that even at this time there are some who would rather spread rumors instead of working on actions to help.
It is time we learn to ignore such rumors and move on with our work. There are many who want to help - we must work with them, improve our efficiency and continue working with the poorest and the most needy.
Thanks,
Balaji Sampath
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->From: "Balaji Sampath"
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 22:14:21 +0530
Dear Friends and AID Volunteers,
At a time when so many people have been so understanding and have come forward to help in all ways they can and when so many volunteers from AID and the other groups we are working with have been working day and night to provide relief to the people affected by the Tsunami, it is sad to see this slander campaign against AID.
As I had mentioned frequently in my reports, we are working with DYFI (along with many other organizations) on the immediate relief efforts.  DYFI is affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is a legitimate parliamentary political party in India. Most of DYFI members are just ordinary laborers who have joined by paying a Re 1 membership fee - they are not even members of CPI(M).
When the Tsunami hit we were faced with the daunting task of providing immediate relief to a large number of villages across the state. The only effective way to do this was to link up with organizations that had a local base and to help them reach out to the villagers, while ensuring that
there is no discrimination or sectarianism and that we reach the most needy. To think about political affiliations at that point meant delaying the reach of relief materials to the most needy. This we were not ready to do. This is not just what some of us at AID-India felt - we had over 1000 volunteers
from software companies, working in many multi-nationals from Chennai and Bangalore - who worked alongside DYFI volunteers. Almost all of them found the DYFI volunteers working extremely hard and sincerely and ensuring quick relief reaches the most needy.
AID and DYFI are very different kinds of organizations. AID draws heavily on a large number of volunteers from the middle class who want to work with and help the poor. DYFI has mostly volunteers drawn from the poorest sections. The way the two organizations function are very different. AID is not affiliated to any political party and is an independent organization. Right
from the start we all saw the AID-DYFI collaboration as a clear short-term collaboration for ensuring quick relief to the most needy in remote areas. And it is not only that AID volunteers have problems working with DYFI in the long run. DYFI volunteers also have many problems working with AID!
But long run problems should not prevent us from reaching immediate relief where necessary. AID has been working not only with DYFI but with many other organizations - TNSF, PSF, Vidyarambam, Pratham, Sneham, Sneha, Bhoomika, Malar, AIMS, Nesa, etc. The point was to link up quickly with as many groups as possible to reach out relief efforts to all those who need it.
Some people have used this fact as an excuse to initiate a slander campaign against AID. They have called AID communist and have thrown around words like naxalites and violence. When I mentioned this at the AID office, our volunteers burst out laughing!
First DYFI and Naxalites don't go together. CPI(M) is a parliamentary constitutional political party. DYFI is linked to CPI(M) and is law abiding. Naxalites by principle are not.  Any of the thousand different volunteers from the various companies can tell you that the DYFI volunteers
they worked with were simple, mild-mannered people - very far from indulging
in violent actions.
Secondly, AID is not affiliated with DYFI or any political party.
Thirdly, AID firmly opposes the use of violence both in principle and practice, as shown by 13 years of work.
AID is a very open organization - a large number of first time volunteers from many MNCs and software companies landed up at our office and took on important responsibilities and many of them went to work with the DYFI (and to also work in pure AID centers as well). All our reports are put up on the web. Even our thought processes and discussions are on the web.
We had people from the United States Consulate office volunteering at the AID office. We had people from Colgate-Palmolive working with AID and DYFI volunteers in Nagapatinam. We had a large number of volunteers from software companies working side by side with DYFI volunteers lifting dead bodies. Even the district government has been utilizing DYFI's help in debris clearance and relief distribution. All these people are working with DYFI because DYFI volunteers are doing good work in the relief areas - and that is the priority now.
Independently of AID, I found the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries), working with and helping DYFI volunteers working on the relief efforts in Cuddalore.  I suppose that these people who slander AID would now say that overnight the entire Indian Industry has turned communist!
It is so heartening to see people from all sections of society come together to help the people suffering because of the Tsunami. It is really sad to see that even at this time there are some who would rather spread rumors instead of working on actions to help.
It is time we learn to ignore such rumors and move on with our work. There are many who want to help - we must work with them, improve our efficiency and continue working with the poorest and the most needy.
Thanks,
Balaji Sampath
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->