Scotland-wide effort sees India Covid crisis appeal hit target in 30 hours

A total of £10,000 has now been ­collected so far by the emergency ­appeal launched last week by the Sikhs in Scotland organisation.

Director Charandeep Singh, whose cousin’s husband died last week from the virus after being unable to get treatment in the overrun hospitals, said he was “overwhelmed and humbled” by the response which had come from people of all backgrounds and communities in Scotland.

“Some of the first donations that came in were from outside the Sikh community,” he said. “We had people contacting us through the Sikh Food Bank, sending messages of support and asking how they could help so we decided to launch the appeal.

“We only launched it on Wednesday and would have been pleased to reach our target of £5000 but the ­response has far exceeded our expectations and has been a Scotland-wide effort. I am overwhelmed and humbled to know that people are with us and we are not alone – Scotland always shows solidarity with the rest of the world and it has done it once again.”

He said the crisis was a huge ­worry for the many families in Scotland with relatives in India, including his own.

“We lost a family member last week,” said Singh. “My cousin’s husband, who was in his thirties, tried to get treatment at a few hospitals but was unable to and he passed away. She has been left on her own with two children.

“Around half of my mother and father’s family are in India including my gran, aunts, uncles and cousins so it is a hugely distressing situation. People are worried and fearful, not just about the virus but the fact that the healthcare system has collapsed, oxygen is running out and critical health supplies are depleted.”

Singh said many Sikhs living in Scotland were so distressed they could no longer watch the news.

“They can’t process it. These are cities that we know, streets that we know, so it is very close to our hearts.”

Singh said the Indian Government had lost control of the situation after boasting only a month ago that they had beaten the virus.

“They let their guard down and people are now paying the price. The health care system has collapsed, ­people are dying outside hospitals and there are harrowing images of outdoor crematoria that have been created because of the volume of ­funerals that are taking place.”

The official death toll is now running at over 3000 each day with new cases approaching 400,000 daily.

SINGH said the crisis was even more serious than has been officially reported.

“It is easily double from what we are aware as many people are not registered in the system,” he said.

The Indian Government now needs to urgently take steps to stop the spread, roll out the vaccine and combat vaccine hesitancy while the international community needs to increase supplies of oxygen, vaccines and medical supplies, according to Singh.

The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal has been extended to include India and the funds raised by Sikhs in Scotland will be coordinated through Khalsa Aid and the DEC.

Singh (below) said his family in Scotland were in touch with relatives in India every day and they had been given hope by the fact people were fundraising here.

“They can see the world is watching and standing up to support them,” he said. “We should not lose sight of how international solidarity can transform people’s spirits and their resilience.”

Kuppuswamy Jagannathan, co-founder and president of the Hindu Temple of Scotland, said people were very worried about their relatives in India.

He said his brother-in-law ­contracted the virus two months ago but recovered after being treated in hospital. Tragically his friend, who contracted it later, died after being unable to access treatment.

“They went round every hospital but no one could take him and he passed away – the situation is like that everywhere,” he said. “We are ­really worried. It is very bad and ­people are scared.

“Watching the news I feel horrible. All the dead bodies lined up on the pavement waiting for cremation – I can’t think about it. There are no words to describe it, it is so bad.

“Everyone has connections and we are all very worried.”

THE Rev Moumita Biswas, of the Church of North India which is partnered with the Church of Scotland, said the country had become a “valley of death”.

She has lost four relatives and many close colleagues to the virus.

“We are in a death trap now,” she said. “Before this wave hit we just knew the numbers but now it’s our family members, our relatives, our church leaders who have died. I have lost four of my relatives to coronavirus and many close colleagues, which has been heart-breaking. My best friend’s wife died so he is also ­suffering. Every Indian has someone or other in their family who has been affected.

“There’s no oxygen, there’s no hospital beds, and we are running short of vaccines. It’s not just the virus that is killing people, it’s the system – hospitals are overwhelmed. People are travelling from far distances to come to hospital, then they have to wait in the streets and are turned back.

“In my own apartment block family after family have been affected. We are in a chaotic situation.”

Education is also suffering, according to Biswas.

“Schools don’t have the facilities to deliver online education, so there will be millions of children – mainly girls – who will drop out which will increase things like trafficking and forced child marriage so the problem is very grave,” she said. “Many children are also becoming orphans which makes them more vulnerable to these things. The crisis is much deeper than the statistics that we are hearing at the moment.”

Biswas said that what was happening in India was a lesson for countries around the world.

“Covid doesn’t have boundaries – friends in Pakistan are saying a second wave is there, and Nepal is also being hit. It is spreading – India’s problem is not just India’s problem, it’s a global problem,” she said.

“The one thing coronavirus has done is unite us globally. The greatest thing we have is prayers for each ­other. The other thing is to reflect your prayer into action – increase your awareness of what is happening in India, what is happening in ­Brazil.”

THE Church of Scotland is sending £5000 as an emergency grant to the Church of South India to support their response to the pandemic.

The Very Rev Susan Brown, convener of the Church of Scotland’s Faith Impact Forum said: “The numbers infected and dying in India are staggering. These are parents and brothers and sisters and children. For us in the Church of Scotland they are also long term partners and friends, many of whom are trying their hardest to bring comfort and help to their communities.

“As elsewhere, it is the poorest who are suffering most. We encourage people if they can, to donate to the DEC appeal.”

Alistair Dutton, director of Sciaf, said the UK Government’s decision to slash its overseas aid was not helping the situation.

“The UK Government’s recent decision to renege on its legal, moral and manifesto obligations by slashing its spending on humanitarian aid by 40% this year means life-saving assistance will not reach millions of ­Indians in this hour of need,” he said.

“Sciaf’s partners are continuing to provide vital support to the poorest communities, and are assessing the situation to see how best to support local authorities as they tackle the crisis.”

The donation link to the Sikhs in Scotland appeal can be found on their website’s homepage: www.sikhsinscotland.com. Access to the DEC appeal is at www.dec.org.uk.