PTUDC Earthquake Appeal: Fourth Solidarity Caravan arrives in Kashmir

The PTUDC’s fourth revolutionary solidarity caravan entered Pakistan through the Wagah checkpoint from India on November 6. There were four large trucks on this caravan carrying relief goods including 522 large tents, 4000 blankets, 300 quilts, 500 bamboos, flour, tea, sugar and other basic necessities. This is the second caravan to arrive from India in support of the PTUDC’s relief campaign. The PTUDC’s fourth revolutionary solidarity caravan entered Pakistan through the Wagah checkpoint from India on November 6. There were four large trucks on this caravan carrying relief goods including 522 large tents, 4000 blankets, 300 quilts, 500 bamboos, flour, tea, sugar and other basic necessities. This is the second caravan to arrive from India in support of the PTUDC’s relief campaign. Ms. Nirmla Deshpande MP, and her comrades have been organizing these caravans. The caravan was brought into Pakistan by comrade Ramesh Yadav and comrade Ranjeev Sharma and was received at the border by comrade Manzoor Ahmed, President of the PTUDC and Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan along with several other PTUDC activists.

At the border the goods were loaded onto four Pakistani trucks and the caravan started to move towards the devastated cities of Muzaffarabad, Rawlakot and Bagh in Kashmir and Balakot in Pakhtoonkhawa (the North West Frontier Province). Comrade Ilyas Amin took the caravan from Wagah to these destinations.

YFIS also held a meeting in Kashmir on 3 November (Islamic Christmas Eve) an area in Muzaffarabad. 36 comrades, all of whom were directly affected by the earthquake, attended the meeting. Most of these comrades lost their homes and close friends and family members.

Comrade Lal Khan addressed the meeting and spoke on the calamity and its political and social repercussions. He spoke at length on the economic and political perspectives of the region and the way forward for the Kashmiri masses.

The PTUDC relief committees were also re-organised at this meeting. Eight committees have now been established in each area, i.e. Muzaffarabad, Rawlakot and Bagh. These committees will operate from the three PTUDC/YFIS centers already functioning in these areas and will coordinate the relief camps and the relief effort.

The relief goods will be distributed from these centers and the comrades will personally distribute these items to the camps and to the remotest villages where the state has failed to deliver relief goods to the weak and the injured people in dire need.

The PTUDC/YFIS campaign is gaining momentum when other relief campaigns are dwindling. Another caravan from India will enter from Indian-held Kashmir next week. Ms. Nirmla Deshpande along with other Indian parliamentarians and trade unionists will personally accompany this caravan while PTUDC activists in other parts of Pakistan are collecting money and relief items.

The PTUDC has so far distributed goods and relief items worth more than Rs 7 million, with much more planned. Comrade Manzoor Ahmed has expressed his personal gratitude to all those who have contributed to this relief effort. The PTUDC Earthquake appeal has been an absolute success. Today, Dawn and Metropolitan, published articles on the PTUDC’s list of demands and caravans (you can see the scanned articles here and here). This shows that the campaign is having a big impact, not only in Pakistan, but across the subcontinent and around the world.

But there is still the urgent necessity to raise more money and goods. With the winter now fast approaching the people of Kashmir face yet another humanitarian crisis. The UN is reporting that if nothing is done immediately to solve this crisis, some 50,000 people will die – possibly more. We need to step up the campaign to ensure that we can continue to shelter the people in our camps and so that we can continue to gather and distribute relief goods to the devastated regions of Kashmir and Pakistan. We appeal to all who can, to please donate any amount they possibly can to our Earthquake Appeal.

The PTUDC/YFIS rescue and relief comittee of Muzzaffarabad area	YFIS Aggregate in Muzzaffarabad	YFIS and JKNSF(MARXIST) leader Shujaat Kazmi distributing relief goods in Muzaffarabad
Long queues outside the Military relief centre	Participants in the YFIS aggregate in Muzzaffarabad	Participants in the YFIS aggregate in Muzzaffarabad