[Dialogue] A note From Kokane

[Jack Gilles]

Colleagues,

Some weeks ago I sent out an appeal for helping Kokane's family who lost 
everything in the heavy rains that hit Mumbai in July.  Little did I know 
that all of you would be seeing so much of the same scenes that were here in 
Mumbai and suburbs.  As bad as it was here, the New Orleans is so much 
worse, especially the failure of the govenrment and the long-term 
displacement.  I'm sure I wouldn't have asked for help if I had know what 
was needed there, but I am deeply grateful for those of you who responded.  
We raised over $3,000 for them and Judy and I will be covering the rest of 
their loss which was about $4,000.  Hiraman was here and dictated the 
following letter to be sent out to you all.

G&P,

Jack & Judy Gilles

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September 9th, 2005

My Dear Friends,

The 26th of July will be the day we never want to relive again.  It was most 
painful event in our family’s life and the life of people in Mumbai, Konkan 
region and parts of Maharashstra.  Even today, my wife Suman, when she rears 
rain in the night or even if someone throwing a bucket of water outside she 
recalls the horror that she experienced the whole night on the 26th.  I 
won’t describe to you the loss of life that occurred as people were trapped 
in their homes, unable to get out.  We were fortunate that the water only 
rose to eight feet inside our home.  People in lower sections of town lost 
much more and many of them their lives.

Cleaning is still going on in our home.  You can’t believe how mud can get 
into everything!  And of course it is still raining here so getting things 
dry is not easy.  As Jack has shared with you we were able to save very 
little of what we owned.  Even the TV that we thought would be saved as we 
got it out, but we had to keep it in the staircase and it got wet.  The 
children’s clothes were saved and I had some with me as I was away in 
Kolhapur.  It took me eight days to return.  But we have our lives; our 
house and now I know we have a tremendous group of friends that care about 
us.  For those of you who so generously gave us money we want to thank each 
of you.  Jack will give us the addresses so that we might send you a card at 
Christmas time.

It is hard for me to express our feelings, as my English is not that good.  
We don’t have a word to express our feelings of being part of a community 
that really cares.  You are our real family.  Perhaps one my deepest pains 
have been the loss of all my notes and documents from all my years of 
service in the ICA.  I tried to dry out some of them, but I had to throw 
them all away.  But Jack just gave me a copy of the book on the talks of Joe 
Mathews.  I intend to translate it all into Marathi.

I know you now have to care for those who suffered so much in New Orleans.  
We share in their pain, but I know that my colleagues in the States are 
caring for them, just like they cared for me.  It is what we do and who we 
are.  People Who Care.

Hiraman and Suman and Vijay and Asha and Kalpana Kokane