Statement by external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh at the Special Meeting of leaders convened by ASEAN in the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami Jakarta
Existing vocabularies are inadequate to describe the intensity and magnitude of the horrendous catastrophe that hit a dozen countries of the Indian Ocean. The light went out of so many homes in so many countries in so short a span of time – only a few minutes.
Yesterday, the foreign minister of Indonesia used a striking phrase for this conference – "a community of grief". I agreed. But let me also add that this community of grief is not and must not become a community of despair. As the Prime Minister of Singapore said, the resilience of the human spirit cannot be underestimated. We are facing this unmeasurable tragedy with determination, vigour, resolution, strong-nerves and with the dedicated team of workers under the UN. The year 2004 ended in unparalleled tragedy. 2005 begins with collective hope and sustained action.
South and Southeast Asia are a region joined by history and by deep rooted social and cultural ties. We are also, we realize, joined by one ocean. Centuries of interaction have created a natural sense of affinity and empathy amongst our people. It is, therefore, only natural that we have today come together in the face of this unprecedented disaster. Other friends from across the globe have joined us. This vividly demonstrates the truth of the ancient Sanskrit saying "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", or that the world is one family, said more than 3000 years ago.
In India, the Tsunami has caused extensive damage in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Pondicherry. The death toll has already crossed the figure of 9,500 and is likely to go up further as more than 5,800 persons are still missing.
The government of India, along with those of the affected Indian states and unionterritories, has mounted massive relief and rescue operations. Initially, the focus was on search, evacuation and relief efforts. The situation in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry has stabilized, and is returning to normalcy. It is stabilizing rapidly in various islands in Andaman district. The focus now is on establishing the communications network, prevention of outbreaks of epidemics and relief and rescue operations in the Nicobargroup of islands, which are the worst affected. Large quantities of food, drinking water, medicines, tents, torches and generator sets have been delivered, and more are ready for delivery. Supplies to inaccessible areas are being air-dropped.