Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson appeals for flood affectees

UNITED NATIONS: Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi on Friday joined Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Hussain Haroon in appealing for international help to meet the huge challenge posed by the worst-ever floods in Pakistan, warning that the country could face a humanitarian crisis if the world did not come to its aid in a big way. “What you are seeing now is the tip of iceberg, the worst is yet to come,” Ambassador Haroon told a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York with Professor Rajmohan Gandhi on his side. Gandhi came from Chicago where he teaches at the University of Illinois. Professor Gandhi said that the terrible natural disaster afflicting Pakistan called for stepped-up financial and material help for the millions of “brave” Pakistanis coping with the calamity. He said that the tragedy had also created an opportunity to bring down the “walls of hatred” between India and Pakistan and to create a climate conducive for developing friendly, cooperative relations. Ambassador Haroon said that the scale of the problems created by the floods had been staggering and Pakistan could not deal with them alone considering the fact that one-fifth of the country was still under water, uprooting 20 million people. Professor Gandhi welcomed the aid extended by the Indian government, saying many Indians had made personal donations. He hoped that the government and the people of India would come forward with more help

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