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Gujarat Earthquake
The devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat in 2001 claimed the lives of almost 20,000 people, injured
countless more, and shattered their homes and hopes. Amma’s response to the disaster was immediate
and multifaceted. Amma’s AIMS Hospital dispatched a disaster-relief team of a dozen surgeons and two
fully equipped ambulances that facilitated expert trauma care in the devastated areas. The doctors performed
lifesaving operations in extremely makeshift conditions. One hundred students from Amma’s
University also volunteered and made the journey to Gujarat, where they helped the relief work by recovering
bodies from the rubble, distributing clothes and feeding and comforting the survivors.
Amma’s commitment to these people was such that long after the initial crisis was over, Amma’s monastic
disciples and volunteers remained, working tirelessly to help rebuild the people’s lives. The M.A. Math
adopted three villages near the epicentre in Bhuj, which had been completely destroyed. The new villages
included 1,200 earthquake-proof houses, as well as community halls, a school, several temples and a
mosque.
At a joyful inauguration, where thousands came to greet Amma, Mr. L.K. Advani, the then Deputy Prime
Minister of India, handed the keys to the beneficiaries. Out of their gratitude to Amma, the people renamed
their villages after her. |
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