Editorial
The self-effacing benefactor
Shining example of humanitarian service
The anonymous benefactor who donated $130m for the victims of Sidr, which hit southern Bangladesh in November 2007, has set an example of humanitarian service that deserves the greatest commendation. Our be-lief that man is not alone in his mission of surviving the worst calamities is bolstered by this act of generosity and noble compassion that strike an empathetic chord in the humanity.
The donation is the result of a man being deeply shocked and overwhelmed by the sufferings of fellow human beings. The bond of humanity has inspired him to come to the rescue of the victims of a terrible natural disaster. The world would have been a much poorer place without men like the lion hearted philanthropist.
We are told that the bulk of the huge amount of money will be spent for reconstructing primary schools and building more cyclone shelters in the highly vulnerable coastal areas. We cannot think of any better way of utilising the money but it has to be seen that the affected people are truly benefited by this great gesture on the part of our unknown friend.
The government should go for correctly assessing the needs of the badly-hit areas and launch the rehabilita-tion programme on the basis of a well thought out plan.
The lesson to be learned from the noble philanthropist is that people across the globe are indeed members of the greater family called mankind. And it is their moral duty to help each other. It should inspire the affluent in our society to sacrifice a bit of their worldly possessions for the greater collective good. If a man from a distant country could feel the necessity of helping the cyclone victims so intensely, why shouldn't more wealthy people in our society come forward in a bigger way? Of course, many organisations and individuals have responded to the call for helping the cyclone victims. However, such noble gesture should not remain confined to relief operations only. Philanthropy is a virtue that can help create opportunities for the less privileged in many other areas also.
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