Cyclone Amphan has torn through West Bengal. Many parts of the state, including the city of joy, have been devastated. Lakhs of homes have been damaged. Crops in thousands of acres destroyed. Livelihoods lost. The poorest have been hit the hardest. Now your support will help the people of Bengal recover from this cyclone's devastation. Join us to help the poorest who have suffered the most in Bengal. Your donations will help provide food and medication to those who need it the most.
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This Article is From Jun 07, 2020
Highlights Of #AllForBengal Telethon: Donate To Help Bengal Recover
#AllForBengal, an initiative to help the poorest who have suffered the most in Bengal due to cyclone Amphan
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Updated : June 07, 2020 11:57 pm IST
Jun 07, 2020 23:57 (IST)
We leave you with this song of hope for Bengal conceived by Shantanu Moitra and rearranged by Rathijit Bhattacharya and performed by his team of talented musicians
Jun 07, 2020 23:56 (IST)
Jun 07, 2020 23:02 (IST)
Swanand Kirkire, Lyricist, Singer, Writer on #AllForBengal Telethon:
As the whole world is dealing with the COVID crisis, Bengal has been attacked twice over. For Bengal to get back on its feet, it needs our support. We have to stand with them. Bengal will definitely recover.
There will be music and laughter once again. Bengal will teach us about beauty and grace once again. I am sure of it. Regardless of what governments do, we the people need to stand with Bengal. And this is the appeal I make to you all today.
Jun 07, 2020 22:57 (IST)
"Please Help Us," Says Mamata Banerjee
Jun 07, 2020 22:53 (IST)
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee explains the extent of the damage caused by Cyclone Amphan in Bengal
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Jun 07, 2020 22:51 (IST)
Neelam Makhijani, CEO and Country Director, ChildFund India on other challenges of the situation arising out of the crisis in Bengal:
Jun 07, 2020 22:45 (IST)
CK Dhanuka, Chairman, Dhunseri Group of Industries
Friends, it is really sad what happened in Bengal due to the cyclone. People have lost their houses. The government of the state, Mamata didi doing their best.
But it is required that all of us jointly contribute something. Anything, Rs 500, Rs 5000, Rs 5 lakh, Rs 5 crore whatever we can. Because Rs 500 even can give a tarpaulin for a shed to protect four people. So let us not hesitate in contributing. And it will be a great thing if we contribute to this cause. They are really in need of money.
To donate click here.
Jun 07, 2020 22:27 (IST)
Taranjit Singh, Managing Director, JIS Group Educational Initiatives on the #AllForBengal telethon:
Jun 07, 2020 22:24 (IST)
Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cements & JSW Paints and Director, JSW Sports & JSW USA:
JSW has a very personal connection with Bengal. We have been selling products there. We have recently set up a cement plant there and are employing people there. We are providing cement all over Bengal.
Thank you so much to NDTV for doing what you are doing to provide relief.
In the state of Bengal, we have over 1,500 dealers who sell cement. We have asked them to double up and reach out to people with food, medicines. It is time to together stand with the people. It is our time to give back to the community with more than what we have received
Jun 07, 2020 22:19 (IST)
Usha Uthup, Pop, Film & Jazz singer on #AllForBengal Telethon:
Look at Bengal, look at Kolkata. On top of all this COVID and pandemic going on, this devastating Amphan. Unbelievable devastation all over Bengal. It has been terrible. There are some parts of Bengal that don't have electricity even now, that don't have water to drink. Children just dying for some water. Isn't that horrible? Let's all stand together and say Kolkata, Kolkata, Dont Worry Kolkata, we are your Kolkata. That's right, we believe in Bengal. Come on everybody, let's stand together and say it with all our hearts - dil se kehte hain - Bengal we believe in you.
Jun 07, 2020 22:06 (IST)
Sonu Nigam, Singer on #AllForBengal Telethon
At a time like this, I can only send them my best wishes. Bengal is my home too. My wife is from Bengal. Many of my closest friends are from there- Bickram Ghosh, Jeet Gannguli, Shantanu Moitra. There are many such people associated with Bengal, who I am very close to.
Jun 07, 2020 22:01 (IST)
Biswadip Gupta, President, Corporate Affairs, East, JSW Steel & Trustee, JSW Foundation
It actually began because of this COVID -19 lockdown. I was sitting in my home and after Amphan had struck, a large number of young, small groups came up and asked for my help and suggestions in planning out how to do something for this, particularly in South 24 Parganas - that was the worst hit place.
So there were about 8 organisations that reached out to me. And I vicariously got involved with them and started the relief work with them. And each one came with different value systems. Some made community kitchens, some did food distribution, but basically these were the young warriors who reached out and were the first movers once the cyclone had hit.
Jun 07, 2020 21:51 (IST)
Amitava Ghosh, Author & Padma Shri Awardee on cyclones and their impact on lives and livelihoods:
All the studies of climate scientists all say that we are going to see a huge increase in cyclonic activity. And also, an intensification of cyclonic activity. I mean you've seen surely that just in these few weeks we've had so many cyclones. I mean in the Bay of Bengal but also in the Arabian Sea. It's kind of extraordinary the increase in the cyclonic activity that we see, certainly in our neighborhood. Cyclones draw their energy from heat and the water. And the waters around us, they are heating up very very fast. So that's what's actually providing the extra energy for these cyclones.
The problem is that when this water comes in, it intensifies the process of saltwater intrusion. So, Cyclone Aila for example in 2009, even though it, fortunately, didn't take a terrible toll in lives, it took a terrible toll in livelihoods. A lot of people lose their ability to feed themselves.
Right now, I'm hearing from Sundarbans that many people just don't have water. They have to walk for miles and miles to get drinking water because all their freshwater sources have been salinated. And that land, which is actually quite fertile land, once it gets salinated it takes you years to bring productivity. Though here I must say, fortunately, there is an amazing seed scientist, Debal Deb, whose work you may know. He has been specializing in developing and regenerating salt-resistant types of rice.
The first cyclone I experienced was when I was 8 years old. I remember it vividly. I remember the water flowing through our house. Actually, there was a little pond behind our house, fish was going through our house - it was an extraordinary experience. So, yes, I think everyone who is familiar with the landscape of Bengal knows that. we grew up with these extraordinary events. And I also experienced actually a tornado in Delhi in 1978, so I have a long sort of strange relationship with these weird sorts of weather events. So, I'm very much drawn into them.
But you know, we have to remember that it's just not me. I mean, on the landscape of Bengal, everyone who inhabits it including writers, filmmakers and so on develops this kind of relationship with these weather events.
Jun 07, 2020 21:38 (IST)
Vidya Balan, Actress on #AllForIndia telethon:
My heart is breaking because I have a very long, a very unique and lovely relationship with Kolkata and West Bengal. That is where I started my career. My first film was a Bengali film, Bhalo Theko. Since then I have shot many films there like Parineeta, Kahaani, Kahaani 2, Begum Jaan. Not just in Kolkata, but also Falta, Shantiniketan & Chandand Nagar. Each time I felt at home. I never felt like I was miles away from my own home because the people gave me so much love and accepted me wholeheartedly.
Today, I am worried about all of them. But I know that Bengal will heal very quickly. I will do as much as I can for them, and I appeal to you to do the same. Let's all help to rebuild Bengal. I would like to send all my love to everyone in West Bengal. Stay well.
Jun 07, 2020 21:33 (IST)
Harsha Bhogle, Cricket commentator & Journalist
So is my beloved Eden Gardens. So many memories every time I talk Eden Gardens, I used to love walking across the Maidan. Now I don't always walk across but you enter through the BC Roy club house, the two dressing rooms on either side. And there's a side screen in front of you which blocks your view of the crowd. So, you walk up there slowly and bend and then look around it and there lies the Eden Gardens' full house, lovely day, there's no better sight in cricket anywhere in the world. I'm hoping the Eden Gardens recovers quickly from this. I'm hoping Bengal recovers quickly too. Bengal needs our help, it's time to be with Bengal.
Jun 07, 2020 21:26 (IST)
Singer Shaan on #AllForBengal telethon:
Jun 07, 2020 21:24 (IST)
Amit Trivedi, Film Composer, Singer, Lyricist on #AllForBengal telethon
I appeal and urge everyone to not lose hope. All of us are with the people of Bengal during this difficult time. We are together in this.
Jun 07, 2020 21:21 (IST)
Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate in Economics on #AllForBengal telethon:
To be quite frank, there are issues of political elections coming up in West Bengal in which the ruling party at the Centre and the ruling party in Bengal will be the main rivals. And that rivalry also reflects a little, more than a little, in the ease with which the help from the Centre becomes forthcoming to help the state.
Well, there are two levels of suffering. There is an immediate problem of survival, shelter, eating, food and water. There's also, once the cyclone is gone, they would have destroyed the fields, animals for those who live by animal earning and untold damages in the cultivating fields.
So, there is a capital problem and there's an immediate survival problem. And it's quite important to pay attention to both.
Jun 07, 2020 21:15 (IST)
Gulzar's soulful rendition on #AllForBengal telethon:
Jun 07, 2020 21:04 (IST)
Shoojit Sircar, Director and Producer on #AllForBengal telethon:
The Bengal cyclone has really been devastating and I have seen a lot of misery around. Village after village is actually not there, people are not actually finding their homes, the roofs have gone, my house is absolutely in the center where the cyclone passed through. It was chilling and scary. And I can't tell you how it felt? All the trees are completely uprooted around my house.
So, Bengal has seen I think the worst, I think its devastation and misery all around. So please, Bengal needs support. And whoever and whatever way you can support Bengal, please do. Rebuilding Bengal is not going to be easy it's going to be very very tough. And thank you for support whoever, and we are all together in this fight and in this rebuilding of Bengal. Thank you so much.
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