The catastrophic earthquake which has struck western India has evoked sympathy and support throughout the word. Some of the aid has come from countries whose relations with India have, over the years, been severely strained due to regional and other disputes. Images of the smoke from the thousands of funeral pyres in the Kutch region of Gujarat province, seen on television in the living rooms of the affluent countries of the west will, it is hoped, lead to worthwhile financial donations to a country which is suffering its biggest natural disaster in half a century.
That the quake struck when it did has been humbling for the world's largest democracy. The devastation took place as India prepared to celebrate Republic Day when national pride was to the fore. It happened also at a time when devout Hindus were involved in the greatest gathering of human beings in the world's history, at the Kumbh Mela festival on the Ganges. The millions who participated in the religious event and the thousands who died in Gujarat have served to remind us of just how teeming with humanity the sub-continent has become in recent decades. Demographers are now forecasting that India will overtake China as the most populous country on earth.
It is hardly surprising that countries which have suffered major earthquake disasters have responded more quickly and with greater focus than others. China, which has had a long-standing border dispute with India, has been one of the first to come through with an aid package. Having suffered many disasters in its own country, China will have had a high level of awareness of the difficulties faced in India. What was perhaps the worst earthquake disaster in history took place in 1976 when almost the entire city of Tangshan, less than 100 miles form Beijing, was razed to the ground. Nearly a quarter of a million people lost their lives.
Turkey, which had its own earthquake tragedy in 1999, has also been among the countries to offer aid at an early stage. Russia which had to deal with the horrific Soviet-era earthquakes in Tashkent in 1966 and in Spitak in Armenia in 1988, was one of the first to have aid workers on the ground on this occasion. In this context the Irish Government's donation of £1 million has been wisely channelled through the Red Cross which has a presence in Gujarat. The figure compares very favourably, for example, with the $1 million given by Australia which has a larger economy and considers itself closely linked to Asia. It is to be hoped, however, that this State will consider increasing its aid as the need becomes clearer and the confirmed casualty figures increase.
Another important aspect is the need for aid agencies and the media to act responsibly. Agencies should contribute in a co-ordinated manner by sending teams with a knowledge of the region and expertise in earthquake relief, rather than responding, bravely and generously, but in an unfocused and counter-productive manner. While international publicity plays an important part in raising funds the media has its own responsibilities in instances such as these. It is more important, after all, to ensure that rescue efforts are not impeded than to come up with dramatic and graphic evidence of the scale of the catastrophe.