You are aware of the horrifying devastation of human lives and properties caused by one of the worst ever natural disaster, called Tsunami (tidal waves) in the South Asian coastal region, due to quake beneath the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia. As per media reports, around two lakh people have lost their lives and scores are missing.

In India, the states mainly affected, in the order of the extent of devastation, are Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. So far, estimated death toll in India has been put around 20,000. The loss of properties is to the tune of several thousands crores of rupees. The sufferings of the survivors also are unimaginable. Apart from post –devastation trauma and physical after effects, they have to encounter severe economic miseries as well. The victims are mainly the poor people residing in the coastal belt and a large segment among them is toiling fishermen.

At this hour of national disaster, the working class movement of the country must rise to the occasion. The CITU, therefore appeals to the working class all over the country to express total solidarity with the Tsunami affected people and lend a helping hand in the rescue and relief operations, by contributing generously towards their rehabilitation. We urge all our unions to organize collection of funds for providing relief to the victims on urgent basis and send the same to CITU centre at the earliest. Appreciating the urgency to rush immediate relief, we also request, the state committees, federations and Unions to send their initial contributions from their own funds, pending collections. In many public sector units, it is noted that initiative have already been taken to raise one day’s wage from the workers and officers, towards relief fund. The CITU appeals to all public sector workers to respond to those calls wholeheartedly.

Please note to send remittance in this regard to the CITU Centre by way of Demand draft drawn in favour of CITU TSUNAMI victims relief fund", at the earliest. Meanwhile the CITU centre had sent an initial remittance of Rs.1 lakh each to Andaman and Tamil Nadu state committees and Rs.50,000 each to Our Kerala and Andhra Pradesh State committees for immediate relief work.