$1 mn for Katrina victims - Amma

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$1 mn for Katrina victims from Amritanandamayi

Kollam (Kerala) | September 23, 2005 4:55:18 PM IST

 

Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Friday announced $1 million in aid

for victims of Hurricane Katrina that battered the US in August.

"Our Amritanandamayi Centre in the US will hand over this amount to the US

government," Mata told reporters at a press conference in her Vallikavu ashram

near here.

 

She also said so far her ashram has completed 1,200 of the 6,200 tsunami-relief

houses it has undertaken to construct throughout India and Sri Lanka.

 

"Even though the ashram has pledged Rs.1 billion in tsunami relief aid, the

effective value of the amount is closer to Rs.2 billion because so much of the

work is being done by our volunteers," said Amma, as she is popularly known.

 

She said her ashram was helping construct new houses in tsunami-affected areas

in Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and also in Sri Lanka. India lost 10,000

people to the Dec 26 disaster.

 

"We are not just building houses, but roads, wells, schools, community halls and

healthcare centres," added Amma.

 

Amma now plans to rehabilitate young girls aged between 13 and 18 who have ended

up in brothels in Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

 

"The present rules in the country when it comes to rehabilitation of these young

girls in this age group are not favourable. So our team of lawyers is working on

it and we are moving slowly but steadily in this regard.

 

"Once a clear cut picture emerges in this, we would start rehabilitation centres

for such victims and we would also provide employment to these girls," said

Amma.

 

For Kerala, Amma announced she would run a programme to tackle the increasing

number of suicides in the state.

 

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Source: http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=119564&cat=India