Mumbai's Oriya organisations exhort people to think about their beleaguered brethren
People evacuated for safety, rest in a temporary cyclone relief shelter in Puri. Pic/AFP
As Cyclone Fani wreaks havoc in Odisha, city organisations and individuals connected to the Eastern State have a succinct message for Mumbaikars, "pray for Odisha." Kavita Mishra, who is general secretary Jagannath Cancer Aid Foundation in Koparkhairane said, "I take heart from the preparedness of the Central government, which has been quick in its measures to combat the fallout," said Mishra. Her 24-year-old organisation provides lodging-boarding for cancer patients in Mumbai from Odisha for treatment. Foundation president Ranjan Ray added, "The poor are always on the frontline of the havoc wreaked by natural disasters."
Ranjan Ray and Dr Kananika Tripathy
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The frantic pace of not-a-minute-to-breathe Saki Naka is a world away from the slower pace of life in Odisha, "but things are really frenetic over here," said Radhasyam Panigrahi, secretary Shree Jagannath Seva Mandal at Saki Naka, Andheri. Panigrahi is currently in Odisha. "Just now, we have reports that a flag mast near the Puri temple has flown away," said Panigrahi. His Mumbai organisation has ties to Odisha's Puri temple. "We also have an annual Jagannath Rath Yatra starting from Saki Naka, just like they have in Odisha. I see that the well-heeled are indoors but farmers are fretting," ended Panigrahi.
Suryanarayan Gauda vice-president Mumbai Utkal Samiti in Kurla said, "We were part of relief operations in 1999, when the state was devastated by a cyclone, and had volunteers on the ground for 21 days when another cyclone hit in 2013. The government seems to be well-prepared this time, but we are praying, and I hope all here will do so."
Founder-president of The Mumbai Oriya Women's Association in Kharghar, Dr Kananika Tripathy, too believes in the power of prayer. "We are more than 2,000 miles away, we can pray and Lord Jagannath is sure to hear us," said the gynaecologist. She said emotively, "The bells in the Lord Jagannath temple of Puri peal in our hearts today," her sentiments resonating with the community here.
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