Christians Among Victims in Disastrous Earthquake in Northern India
Episcopal News Service. February 2, 2001 [2001-28]
James Solheim
(ENS) Christian churches and members are among the casualties in the most disastrous earthquake to strike India for the last 50 years, according to the bishop of the Church of North India's Gujarat Diocese.
Bishop Vinod Malaviya said that the situation is "beyond our description and estimate," with more than 90 percent of the buildings destroyed in some areas by the January 26 quake. Damage was heaviest in the Kutch region bordering Pakistan and the epicenter was in the Kutch town of Bhuj.
"Some of the villages and small towns are 100 percent destroyed," he said in a letter released February 1 by the Anglican Communion Office in London. "It is very difficult to say how many people have died but it is sure that the casualty rate is very high," he wrote. Government officials are now estimating that the casualty level may pass 100,000.
"People are in fear, anxiety and disappointment," he added. In Ahmedabad, a city of five million, "about 100 high-rise buildings have been damaged. All the high-rise buildings are vacated and people are staying outside the flats, either on roads or open ground," he said after a visit to the area.
"All Christian members are safe but they have lost their houses," the bishop reported. "It is a miracle that all the surrounding buildings of our church in Gandhidham have collapsed but our church and parsonage have survived." Relief efforts are operating from a building that was "miraculously only partially damaged."
The bishop witnessed the destruction first-hand as he traveled 350 kilometers to Ahmedabad after a church meeting in Gandhidham.
'The need is great'
In the town of Bhuj, the church has also been damaged, according to the bishop's report. "The Christian families have lost their properties and houses but they have survived." He plans to visit other areas where he has heard that four Christians have been killed. "Some are very badly injured but we fear that there will be many more in Bhuj," he said.
Roman Catholic Bishop Gregory Karotemprel of Rajkot said that the problem of communicating with the affected region was preventing the "enormity of the tragedy" from being made public. He said that nearly half of Bhuj's population of 180,000 were dead.
The main church aid agencies--Churches Auxiliary for Social Action, Lutheran World Service and Caritas India--have already sent workers and supplies to Gujarat, which has a small Christian minority of only 0.5 percent of the population of 45 million.
After calling an emergency meeting of clergy and local lay leaders, Bishop Malaviya said, "We have decided that the Church of North India must start immediate relief work and also encourage other Christian institutions and Christian people to work together and bring all Christian relief agencies together so that we may be more effective and serve needy people in a better way," he said. "The need is so great."
Setting priorities
Priorities for the relief work, the bishop said, are food and water, temporary shelter, blankets and basic utensils, financial support "to each of our Christian families to start the new life." It will also be necessary to rebuild or repair churches, community halls, parsonages and the Bible seminary, as well as the bishop's house and diocesan office which "have been damaged seriously which require serious attention."
The church also hopes to train 100 young people to serve as volunteers to distribute relief. "We have motivated young people, women pastorate committee members and leaders" for this ministry, he said. But the church will also need help from partner churches to augment what can be done locally, he emphasized.
Episcopal Relief and Development gave a $25,000 emergency grant to Bishop Malaviya and the diocese and an additional $25,000 grant to the Church of North India "to support the larger relief efforts." ERD said that "once the immediate needs are addressed, we stand ready to assist in the rehabilitation of the people suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy," according to Malaika Kamunanwire, director of development for ERD.