Life is a mixture of sorrows and happiness. Both are having strong prints on life but some sorrows leave ever-lasting finger-prints on the human-life. Sometimes, the lines on the palm of the hand do not indicate how old will you’re live. But the fault line does, especially when it lies on an ocean floor. The December 26, Asian Tsunami killed nearly 150,000 people and displaced up to five million in 11 countries in Indian Ocean basin. They gave help their ghost without any noise. The world is still lamenting over their kick to the bucket of life.
Tsunami, Japanese word (Tsu, harbor and nami wave), is a great sea wave produced by submarines, earth movement or volcanic eruption. For tsunami waves one is more than enough, as it swallowed thousands of human-beings.
Human suffering has no borders; it is equally horrifying for people of all religions, races and nationalities. “The sea is coming in land,” a scream was heard by Sri Lankan resident. “We looked death in the face”, an Italian woman narrated the movement when the wave crashed in.”I thought my parents didn’t want me anymore,” grumbled a six year old Taiwanese girl who was rescued after being separated from her mother. “The New Year, I don’t know when that is, I don’t want to talk about it”, words of a Frenchman who lost his five-month old son; the boy had drowned. “Life has a way of surprising us”, wrote Peggy Noonan, a journalist just after a wall of water separated the love ones, leaving a tsunami of tears in the eyes of thousands. Golden beaches were turned into open-air morgues, jammed with victims of the tidal wave.
The Beach, starring Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed on South Thailand’s Andaman coast with an unspeakably beautiful scenic setting. But, as was the case in the movie, the dream of a tourist becomes a nightmare paradise turned to hell. The only difference was that in real life, the Tsunami was the villain.
Four countries were hit the hardest by the disaster namely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand as they were closer to the epicenter of the Earthquake that caused the tsunami. It laded to mental disorder like depression. The world Health Organization warned about the risk of dengue fever, malaria and other potentially fatal mosquito bone diseases in countries struck by tsunami.
From the horror of cataclysm in and around the Indian Ocean, one great truth emerges; man still cares for man, regardless of his creed and colors. It can be measured by the fact that it enforced UNO to change their decisions about the criteria of aid. The tsunami relief operation from Indonesia to Somalia is one of the biggest humanitarian exercises in history.
Luxembourg, which now holds the EU Presidency, called for three-minute observance of silence for tsunami victims. All cross the world, aid is going on so that a second catastrophe can be avoided.
It is beyond human’s psychology that despite the existence of modern technology, the 8.9 magnitude earthquake, the fifth largest since 1900, that generated the tsunami is due to their spiritual sins. They are reminded by this misfortune which has left a great impact on the world. May god bless them with Blessings?
In brief, December 26, 2004 will remain etched in history as the day when nobody escaped the wrath of nature.