Do we deserve to call ourselves a nation? Telugu television news channels have been covering the devastating floods in Andhra Pradesh for almost a week now. Many people have died and thousands of acres of crop lands are submerged. Four children died in their village hut when an electric wire snapped. The sight of floods in district after district, town after town, was frightening. But even as all this happened, the Centre did not take notice. The top Congress leaders and Ministers were busy holding a rally in New Delhi and attacking the BJP. No talk of helping the struggling Andhra Pradesh government. The media too has largely failed. Whatever has happened to the idea that Andhra Pradesh is a part of India?
There is, however, one point about the enormous floods. A small portion of the waters that went to the sea would have been enough to fill up the reservoirs in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had there been some inter-linking of rivers like Godavari and Krishna.
G. Dwarakanath,
Bangalore
