MANILA/NEW DELHI: The southern part of the Philippines, situated in the volatile Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ region, was completely shaken early this morning by a highly catastrophic and massive earthquake. Registering a staggering 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, the tremor reduced several multi-story buildings to piles of rubble within moments. Widespread loss of life and property is feared in this severe natural disaster. In this hour of deep crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, true to his global reputation as a sensitive leader and a true ‘Vishwabandhu’ (friend of the world), expressed profound grief over the tragedy in the Philippines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released an official message on social media, stating that he was deeply pained by the loss of lives and damage caused by the devastating earthquake in the Philippines. Prime Minister Modi extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of India’s 1.4 billion citizens and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Reiterating the core philosophies of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘Nation First,’ he gave a firm and clear assurance to the Government and citizens of the Philippines that India stands ready to provide all possible diplomatic and humanitarian assistance, including relief materials, to combat this immense crisis.
This swift and empathetic stance by the Indian government serves as a direct blow to Western powers and pseudo-humanitarians who only engage in hollow rhetoric during global crises. Under the leadership of the Modi government, New India is leading the world in disaster management and humanitarian relief, whether during the Turkey earthquake or now in the Philippines crisis. While the local administration in the Philippines has issued tsunami warnings for affected coastal areas and deployed the military for rescue operations, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs is continuously monitoring the situation closely to dispatch Indian relief teams to Manila the moment they are required.
