With focus now shifting towards rehabilitation, Nepal telling all nations to end rescue operations is a bold and a practical way to look at a natural disaster management system. India still has a major role to play in rehabilitating the quake-ravaged Himalayan kingdom. India has been playing a leading role up till now and will continue to do so keeping its historical relations. Today the situation in Nepal needs a concerted effort to revive from rubbles to concrete and India can play a leading role by extending man and machinery for the task as it has done during the evacuation operation from Yemen. From Gujarat earthquake of 2001 to Uttarakhand crisis in 2013 to Jammu and Kashmir floods in 2014 it was one institution which stood the test of the time it was India’s defence forces which led from the front in the massive humanitarian operations. Today, India’s defence forces have become one of the foremost disaster management agency as compared to administrative machinery. The tragedy has once again brought to the fore the need for an effective and responsive disaster management system. Remote areas are yet to be accessed where the human casualties are to be accounted as village to village has been razed with thousands buried under the mounds of mud. Even during November 2014 floods in Jammu and Kashmir it was the army and air force which came to rescue of the marooned population thus winning the heart of civilians in Kashmir. Separatists were acrimonious as usual for even carrying out a humanitarian drive. Even some of the political parties too sang the same tune and did not miss the opportunity to do army bashing. In this backdrop utilisation of defense assets for humanitarian cause is a welcome step and if it is executed on a foreign soil in quick responsive way it will help bolster the country’s image. Not only this the involvement of armed forces in such exercises keeps them prepared to face any eventualities. So continuing the relief operations becomes a priority which only defence forces can execute with surgical precision. This should be yardstick for setting standards even in eventualities. There is a need to create a multi-national working group led by India so that rehabilitation and rebuilding of Nepal takes place before the onset of Monsoon otherwise it will be another catastrophe in waiting.
