Humanitarian mission: Indian Air Force and medic pose for a photograph at Balikpapan airport
umanitarian mission: Indian Air Force and medic pose for a photograph at Balikpapan airport. They are on their way to Palu, Central Sulawesi.
Words Veeramalla Anjaiah Photos Courtesy of Consulate General of India to Sumatra
“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness,” famous Greek tragedian Euripides once said.
Likewise, India, a maritime neighbor and a close friend of Indonesia, responded immediately to an appeal by the archipelagic nation for international aid in the wake of Sept. 28’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi, which killed more than 1,400 people and affected tens of thousands of others in Palu, as well as the regencies of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday night to offer assistance to the victims. Modi also offered condolences to those who had lost their lives, the Indian Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
“The prime minister of India offered his deepest condolences and appreciated the resilience and courage of the people of Indonesia in facing the challenges emanating from the widespread devastation caused by this grave natural calamity,” the statement, which was made available to The Jakarta Post by the Embassy of India in Jakarta on Thursday, said.
The Indian Air Force sent two military transport aircraft -- a C-130J carrying 37 medical personnel and a C-17 that carried six officers, rations, water, medicine, generators and tents -- to Palu.
An Indian rescue team will set up a field hospital in partnership with local medical teams and the Indonesian Military (TNI).
According to the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, the two aircraft were scheduled to arrive in Palu on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
The Indian Navy also deployed three ships -- the Tir, Sujata and Shardul -- to Palu. They are currently in Singapore on a goodwill mission to Southeast Asia and will arrive in Palu on Saturday.
“Besides humanitarian aid and disaster relief and bricks, the ships are also carrying 30,000 liters of bottled water, 1,500 l of juice boxes, 500 l of milk, 700 kilograms of biscuits and 20 tents,” the Navy tweeted.
Indian assistance teams were the first foreign ones to reach Palu.
“It may be noted that Indian support personnel were the first to reach Palu, the site of the disaster, on Wednesday. The embassy’s defense attaché, Capt. J.S. Dhanoa, reached Palu on Oct. 2 and commenced coordination with local authorities for relief and rescue operations,” the embassy said.
India’s massive rescue and relief operations in Palu were codenamed Operation Samudra Maitri (Operation Ocean Friendship), the embassy added.
Indonesia and India have links that date back more than two millennia. This was not the first time that both countries have helped each other during droughts and natural disasters. India also assisted Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami in Aceh and earthquake in Yogyakarta in 2006. They also helped each other during their freedom struggles against colonial powers.
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