After the industrial wave and the partial information wave, it is the Tsunami wave that has struck us and given a rude shock. Millions across SE Asia displaced and homeless and the governments of these countries also face the Herculean task of rebuilding lost infrastructure worth billions of dollars. John Keats wrote:
"Ay, in the very temple of delight, veil'd melncholy has her sovran shrine"
It is not hard to see that the reverse is also true. Even in the worst of calamities, there is always a grain of goodness. This is neither sophistry nor naive optimism but plain practicality. Think about it! This is the time the government can construct well-planned, safe townships with most modern facilities. There is no better time for a democratically elected government to show that they care for the people. They need to rise to the occasion, strategise short-term and long-term plans for rehabilitation and execute them with minimal beauracratic delays and hassles. Think about our neighbours Sri Lanka. The LTTE should reckon that this is the opportune moment to render a helping hand to the government in the relief operations. They are important because the cadres of well-trained LTTE men who know the terrain well would complement the armed forces really well. Probably Mother Nature chose this time to warn the erring lot that it is time to cast off their prejudices and join hands in making every one's life better.
