Boston Globe
Monday, February 07, 2005

Letter to Editor: Why India resisted tsunami aid

THERE WERE inaccuracies in the article "India resists tsunami aid" (Page A4, Jan. 24). Your correspondent stated that "India's caution in accepting aid from governments stems from its history of dependency on foreign assistance." This is an incorrect presumption.

India's decision was not taken on ideological or political grounds. It was a pragmatic decision reflective of current realities. We had the capability necessary to meet the immediate needs of search, rescue, and relief operations from day one.

People in India contributed generously for tsunami relief. Within just three weeks, citizens contributed around $120 million to the prime minister's relief fund. Our past experience also revealed that large foreign consignments of clothes and medicines sent to one of the world's cheapest producers of textiles and pharmaceuticals often create logistical problems that divert attention from relief efforts. Finally, we were convinced that the needs of our neighbors, particularly Sri Lanka and Indonesia, were greater than ours.

The article also said that, "For decades, a socialist-inclined India lurched from one devastating famine to another." This is factually incorrect. The last famine in India, in which millions perished, was the Bengal Famine of 1943 when India was a British colony. Independent India has moved quickly to tackle its grain shortages and today it is one of the world's largest producers of agricultural goods.

GAUTAM BAMBAWALE
Press Minister
Embassy of India
Washington, D.C.