A STATEMENT ON THE EARTHQUAKE IN KUTCH, GUJARAT BY THE PRESIDENT OF 
THE WORLD FEDERATION

On Friday 26 January 2001 the earthquake which had its epicenter in Bhuj, Kutch, has claimed thousands of lives and has wrecked untold destruction. With the grace of Allah, mumineen living in the affected areas have escaped major fatalities. Reports received so far indicate that sadly two members of our community lost their lives. However, over a hundred families have been rendered homeless losing everything - including their means to earn livelihood. Many more are affected in the surrounding areas.

The Mosques and Imambargahs in Bhuj, Nagalpur, Mariya, and Mundra have been reduced to rubble or suffered extensive structural damage. The once throbbing town of Bhuj hardly has a building in sight. Any building not flattened by the earthquake is uninhabitable. In Al Mahdi Colony, the estate of 24 houses built by the World Federation, 4 houses have been totally destroyed and the rest have extensive structural damage. The Tauheed Boys Hostel built by the World Federation is also severely damaged.

Nagalpur has also been completely destroyed and all 21 families of our community have lost their houses and shops. The Mosque, Imambada and one of the oldest surviving library of our community has been totally flattened. 

Mariya has also suffered total destruction. Our community of 16 families are homeless and have also lost their businesses.

Convoys organized by our community have delivered tents, drinking water, foodstuff and essential medical supplies enough to last for two weeks. During the course of relief work undertaken by our community, we were able to extend humanitarian assistance to Muslim and non-Muslim communities also. Needless to state that this relief work continues.

Within hours of this calamity, the World Federation has been in constant contact with Al Haj Gulubhai Bhurani, the President of the Council of Gujarat as well as Councillor Aunali Saleh Mohammed. The Kutch Disaster Desk (KDD) set up by the World Federation has been coordinating and collating data on all relief efforts with all the parties and issuing frequent updates for the information of the Community. The KDD has responded to hundreds of calls from anxious relatives from all over the world in the last few days. 

As I pen this message we have just received a fax from Al Haj Gulubhai Bhurani stating 
“ … following news from Bhuj, of rain and strong winds, we are taking with us building materials including corrugated sheets for roofing, timber, doors, lamps and mattresses to erect about 50 temporary houses in the region. We have received government approval and allocation of land to do so and based on their approved design, we will be constructing 10 temporary houses in Mariya, 14 in Nangalpur and 24 in Bhuj.” 

THE FIRST STEP - EMERGENCY RELIEF.

Emergency relief is the first step to make sure the community is safe, under temporary shelter of tents with sufficient clothing, food and water. Alhamdulillah, with characteristic spirit of fraternity and speed all individuals and institutions of the Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri community in the area have rendered timely aid. Indeed our convoy led by Alhaj Gulubhai Bhurani was amongst the first to reach the affected areas. The care, concern and donations by the Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri Community around the globe is a commendable measure of the same spirit of fraternity. It saddens me, however, to have to state, that as I pen this statement, the World Federation is yet to receive a single message of sympathy, let alone offer to help, from any non-Khoja Shia Institution on the plight of Khoja Mumineen in the affected areas. 

With the Grace of Allah, relief work is well under way and will Inshallah continue until permanent solutions are carried out. 

Now it is imperative that together as a Community we prepare a comprehensive global plan of action in conjunction with the leaders of the affected areas as well as all the agencies, institutions and individuals who are working in the area. By way of this statement I call upon all those who are active in the field to pool our resources, join us in formulating a comprehensive plan for the next steps in the resettlement and rehabilitation of the mumineen in the affected areas. 

To that end I am pleased to report that following my initial discussions with the The Council of Gujarat, The Federation of Kutch, Africa Federation, NASIMCO, Sajjadia Trust,and other agencies, a meeting will soon be convened, Inshallah, in Gujarat to begin to formulate a comprehensive and coordinated plan of action. In the meanwhile to focus on our priorities and course of action the team at the World Federation secretariat envisions the following: 

SECOND STEP - RESETTLE THOSE WHO WANT TO EMIGRATE AND TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND.

The second step is to attempt to resettle those who want to emigrate to other parts of Gujarat, providing accommodation and economic upliftment help as necessary and build temporary huts for the remaining. As per the latest communication from the Council of Gujarat this has already been initiated.

As soon as practicable, conduct a survey of each family, their plight, their aspirations, their requirements. We will need to address the many diverse issues in order to plan their settlement. For example most of the affected areas are completely devastated and businesses, farming or employment will all take time to be at the level they were before the disaster. 

We need to ensure that as far as possible the education of children is not affected. To that end we may have to look into the possibility of moving children and college students to other towns in Gujarat where they can be accommodated, looked after and educated. 

As a matter of priority we also need to identify the sick and the elderly and move them temporarily to other towns in Kutch and Kathiawad until the rebuilding plans are completed.

THIRD STEP - PERMANENT SETTLEMENT OF THOSE LEFT BEHIND.

Having thus stabilized the community, we will need to collect data of all our mosques and Imambargahs and rebuild them in more practical way in accordance with the requirements of the population and where possible utilizing the land to build houses for the homeless too. This will have an added benefit of having the community within the close proximity of the religious centers.

There are a number of waqf properties in the area, some derelict. We will need to identify all the community wakf properties in accordance with the Wakf deeds or dispensation from the Marja' and optimize the utilization of these for the use of the community.

It is probable that some areas may be cordoned off on health grounds, and we may need to consider housing the whole community together around a mosque, imambara, madressa etc. on alternative land made available by the government. 

While we continue to assess the damage and the cost of rehabilitation and plan the long term development I ask you to donate generously to this humanitarian cause by sending your donation to the Secretariat of the World Federation, or through your respective Jamaats. 

May I also ask you to remember the marhumeen who lost their lives in this disaster with a Sur-e-Fateha.

May Allah accept our efforts and give us tawfeeq to serve Him with Ikhlas.

Hasnain Walji 
President
Feb 1 2001