Tsunami, Japan, and Others

Tsunami and Japan are inseparable.  That is why these killer waves have been termed as Tsunami, linguistically Japanese.   Majority there have a number of Tsunami experiences and many tales to tell us, and they are the most prepared nation to welcome Tsunami after Tsunami, since this land of rising sun, Japan, stays on the most active seismic regions in our world.  But, this time their calculations awry away as 8.9 quake which happened 120 km off shore had triggered a very devastating Tsunami.  These waves found their way to land tossing up everything it hit producing horrifying images somewhat similar to the notorious Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004.

The best economic power house seems to be shaken by this, but they have the technical advantages to overcome any aftermath.  History says they have proved it many times.  An earthquake of such magnitude anywhere would have been very much annihilative crippling the economy and the political setup there leading to utter chaos.  To prove this one should just recall how the American had suffered in the hands of Katrina one of the deadliest cyclones that crossed the coast of Florida in 2005.  There the disaster management was an utter failure due to poor planning and lack of resources.  Even the noted American journalist, Fareed Zakaria, recommended the then Bush administration to learn from India, how they were able overcome the backwash of Tsunami 2004.

The country Japan is incomparable when it comes to the point of resilience.  They will spring back in days or weeks.  The massive earthquake shook the buildings for a long time, comparatively as well as reasonably, but we learn that most buildings simply danced to the tune rather crumbling down.  This one example alone proves how well they are prepared to meet any natural happening.  There are many things to learn from Japan especially about how much they value safety.  For Japan whenever crisis strikes they remember the disasters that happened during the Second World War and how they rose from the ashes.  Other government agencies and disaster managements should start acquiring the skills these Japanese posses rather regretting later.  Thanks to the vast scientific advancements we have made; we also have the technical back up to meet any challenges of any grave magnitude. But preparing the mindset of our country men to see opportunities in every crisis is a herculean task. Here patriotism plays the vital role. While appreciating the efficiency Of Japan, let us not forget to machinate ourselves to meet any eventualities.  Otherwise, it will be shameful not only for us but also for Japanese since we and Japanese belong to same species.

Prathap MR

(Author is a freelance writer and an employee of Technopark)