India kickstarts operation Brahma, aiding Myanmar after deadly earthquakes

India Today

India swiftly responds to Myanmar’s earthquake crisis with ‘Operation Brahma,’ deploying C-17 aircraft, Navy ships, and expert teams carrying medical aid, food, and relief supplies.

Transcript

00:00Over 2,000 people have lost their life so far in the earthquakes in Myanmar and acting

00:05as the first responder, India immediately sending out assistance too, not just messages

00:10of peace.

00:11In this dire situation, among the first to arrive, India has called the initiative as

00:15Operation Brahma.

00:17Relief material from India includes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals,

00:23water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps, generator sets and essential medicines, including

00:28some medical items like syringes, gloves, cotton bandages and more.

00:33The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal added that two C-17 aircraft

00:38with over 100 members of the Indian Army Field Hospital unit, including women and child care

00:43services and 60 tonnes of relief material have already landed in Myanmar.

00:49External Affairs Minister Dr. S.J. Shankar sharing that Indian Air Force's C-130J has

00:54also been from Delhi to Mandalay carried 16 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid of

00:59rice and other food items.

01:02Ten personnel from the Indian Army Field Hospital unit with the DCMDA arrived in Mandalay via

01:08the aircraft and conducted detailed coordination with the authorities in Myanmar.

01:12In fact, you should know that the field hospital has already been made operational in Mandalay

01:17for the people of Myanmar.

01:19In the latest, not just the Indian Air Force or the Indian Army, the Indian Navy as well

01:24has sent the ship INS Gharyal from Visakhapatnam with 442 metric tonnes of essential food items.

01:30INS Satpura and INS Savitri already have landed in Yangon with the relief assistance.

01:36Expert teams are already seen on the ground helping with the rescue mission.

01:40To be honest, this commitment makes me proud as an Indian.

01:45How our nation is at the forefront to help people of a country that has already been

01:49long burdened by a political turmoil, emergency situations and then comes in this natural disaster.

01:56You should know that the United States of America, several other countries also have

02:00offered to assist after a call for help came from the Myanmar authorities.

02:05But India responded immediately.

02:07One, because of our geographical proximity of course, but also close historical cultural

02:12ties with Myanmar, which we also call Burma.

02:16The twin earthquakes that struck Myanmar and neighbouring nations, including Thailand,

02:20were 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude on the Richter scale.

02:24So the massive damage was immediately visible when visuals began to pour in.

02:28Soon the aftermath suggested that more than 2,000 people have died already.

02:33Many injured, many missing, many waiting to be rescued even now.

02:38Myanmar has declared a state of emergency across the worst affected regions after the earthquake.

02:45Here is what you need to know.

02:46India shares a long land border of over 1,643 km with Myanmar as well as a maritime boundary

02:54in the Bay of Bengal.

02:55Four northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram have a boundary

03:01with Myanmar.

03:02This is the reason that we have also had border concerns, a major flashpoint politically and

03:07diplomatically.

03:08Incidents of infiltration, refugee influx, illegal entries.

03:13The Rohingya crisis predominantly originates from Myanmar.

03:16But there are also strong cultural ties.

03:19India shares spiritual, historical, linguistic and also ethnic ties with Myanmar, especially

03:24sharing the Buddhist heritage.

03:26Also the freedom struggle against the British was at one point fought together because both

03:31were British colonies at one point in time.

03:34The only ASEAN country adjoining India, therefore a gateway to Southeast Asia.

03:39So the Act East and Neighbourhood First policies have been the focus between India and Myanmar.

03:45India has been, since a few years, already undertaking key initiatives in the restoration

03:50of the Ananda Temple in Bagan and the repair and conservation of a large number of damaged

03:55pagodas.

03:56It remains to be seen how that situation goes ahead now.

03:59The Embassy of India in Yangon has a full-fledged cultural centre named the Swami Vivekananda

04:04Cultural Centre where different kinds of cultural events are organised.

04:08In fact, it's also about the Indian Diaspora.

04:11Between 1.5 to 2 million people of Indian origin have been living and working in various

04:16parts of Myanmar.

04:18They also have been affected at this juncture because of the earthquake.

04:22On that note, of hoping rescue, relief and peace for the people of Myanmar, thank you

04:27for watching this episode of Homeland.

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