India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been instrumental in search and rescue operations carried out in Earthquake hit Nepal. NDRF had the largest presence on ground with 16 teams working hard to help Nepalis who were affected by the earthquake. While yesterday, angry Nepalis trended #GoHomeIndianMedia to protest against their insensitive, irresponsible, and sensationalist reporting, today on 4th May a new “news” was being spread by Indian media about NDRF being sent back:
https://twitter.com/firstpost/status/595167494995771392
https://twitter.com/ibnlive/status/595164651060498432
https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/595161389595041792
From the above reports, most Twitter users felt that now Nepal had asked only NDRF to go back to India. Many tried to connect this with the claim that India has been more engaged in showing off its help offered to Nepal rather than focussing on the actual rescue operations.
Planning Editor of CNN-IBN put out this tweet, which was Retweeted by IBN’s official handle:
https://twitter.com/AnshuChhibber/status/595163595115089920
Consulting Editor at Times of India, Sagarika Ghose too said something similar:
https://twitter.com/sagarikaghose/status/595167564264644609
But as usual, the truth was different. After a high level meeting of Nepal’s Disaster Panel, late on 3rd May, it was decided by them that ALL 4,050 foreign rescue and search personnel be sent back, as its own security personnel can handle the task of recovering the remaining bodies of people. The Nepal Home Ministry spokesperson had said the following to IANS:
“At the meeting, it has decided to send back all foreign rescue and search teams back as their mission is almost complete. Very few dead bodies are likely to remain in the rubble which our own security agencies are enough to handle”
Comically, this was reported by NDTV itself, while it tweeted today that “NDRF has been asked to withdraw”:
https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/595170833204703232
https://twitter.com/sayoniaiyar/status/595171858216955904
Finally, Ministry of External Affairs too tweeted the correct clarification:
https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/595176883701985280
But Sagarika Ghose still had comprehension issues. Although MEA clearly said “Relief work” will go on, only Search and Rescue mission is over, Mrs Ghose had other ideas:
https://twitter.com/sagarikaghose/status/595177197901492225
(Thanks to a twitter user for the tip-off)