University students pitch-in to aid Indian earthquake victims

Throngs of rushing students and staff shake the foundations of Frist Campus Center as they hurry through every day. But this week, many are slowing down their often-hurried pace, stopping by the India Earthquake Relief Fund booth to donate clothes, money and goods.

Five campus organizations — the Hindu Students Council, the International Students Association at Princeton, the Muslim Students Association, the Religious Life Council and the South Asian Student Association — have teamed-up to organize an interfaith relief effort for victims of a devastating earthquake that occurred Jan. 26 in India.

"The immediate goal of the project is to provide funds for food, clothing, temporary housing and civic amenities such as water and sanitation," said Niraj Bhatt '03, director of the project and a member of three of the five participating groups.

"Right now we're collecting donations including nonperishable food items, clothing, medical supplies and money," Bhatt said. "There are volunteers from all five organizations sitting outside eating clubs and dining halls to help with this. More than 50 faculty, staff and students of different races and religions have volunteered their time and energy."

Donations will be shipped to India and distributed by a non-profit organization, Bhatt said.

He added that though the relief drive on campus may only last a couple weeks, he looks forward to the University's continued participation in long-term activities of assisting the reconstruction and rehabilitation in the disaster-stricken country.

Other upcoming activities in conjunction with the relief effort include an interfaith prayer vigil and a campus-wide study break.

The newly-formed Religious Life Council — a panel of students from different faiths that strives to nurture religious life on campus and to cultivate respect among the different faiths — is organizing the interfaith prayer vigil for the Indian victims.

"Everyone's invited to pray in their respective faiths for those who are suffering from this tragedy in India," Bhatt said. "Something like this is a way to really see the love of God at work."

The time and date of the vigil are to be announced.

Karthick Ramakrishnan GS — a member of SASA — who spent his childhood in India and who has been involved in the earthquake relief effort, is also helping to organize a study-break fundraiser for the University community, which will be geared toward promoting awareness of the condition in India.

"We'll have an architecture graduate student come and talk about the structures in India and what made them particularly susceptible to damage," Ramakrishnan said.

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He said he is interested in raising both money and awareness. "Such a situation is likely to happen again, and it's important for people to understand how long the reconstruction effort will take," he said. "This is not just a short-term matter of helping people survive, but we must consider reconstruction in the long-run."

Ramakrishnan said he has been encouraged by the quantity of donations, especially those from people of different cultures and religious backgrounds. "Today my friend and I were sitting outside Mathey dining hall and we noticed that most of the people who gave were not even South Asian," he said. "Everyone seems to realize that this is really a question of getting people food and shelter."

"I think it's great that our community — especially members of groups that aren't usually involved together — are getting involved," he said. "It's unfortunate that it's over a tragedy like this."

Amos Bitzan '03, a Jewish student who has helped to collect donations, said he thinks religious differences have not influenced people's willingness to help with the project. "I didn't even think about religious differences when I got involved," he said, "and I think many Jewish students just see this as a charitable religious obligation."

Bhatt said he has been overwhelmed by the response. "Going into this I wasn't sure what the campus response would be, and everyone has been extremely supportive," he said.

"Princeton students are really taking time out to help those who are in need internationally. This is the whole idea of 'Princeton in the service of all nations.' "