A picture of former Australian PM carrying a big suitcase is doing the rounds of Facebook. The picture was clicked when Rudd was helping Brisbane residents during the flood crisis in Jan 2011. The Indian subscribers of FB are quick to compare the laid-back approach of Indian politicians with Rudd's personal active involvement in a crisis like flood in the context of the ongoing flood fury in Uttarakhand. But we must remember the Bernard Shaw quote: Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.
So, first we need to ask ourselves how much we Indians ourselves are ready to help each other. Our politicians are just a reflection of how we Indians think and behave. What would you say about the people who are robbing the unfortunate stranded pilgrims in Uttarakhand of their belongings, or charging them Rs 400 for a water bottle and Rs 200 for a biscuit packet?
Another tragic aspect of the Uttarakhand story, which is a typical negative trait of my Indian DNA, is that not all the money and material being collected for flood relief would reach the affected people and damaged institutions. Many 'god-fearing' people, like you and me, would also like to have their share for their involvement in the 'noble relief work'.
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