Jain community members send relief material to Nepal

Chennai: Relief for quake-hit Nepal continued to flow from Chennai with a group of jewellery association members despatching food and household items worth Rs 40 lakh on Wednesday. The relief materials collected from 1,500 members of the Jain community included cereals, electronic goods and household items. The goods were packed in white gunny bags and were put in Sangamitra Express heading to Patna from Chennai Central.

“We are really thankful to the Indian Railways as they agreed to carry the relief materials free of cost. “It was the Ramakrishna Ashram of Kathmandu that had intimated us regarding the need initially and we also contacted sources in the mission in Chennai and proceeded accordingly,” said Tarun Kumar, a member of the Jain community.

Seven members from the community will be heading to Nepal on May 16 to distribute the materials collected to the quake victims under the guidance of Ramakrishna Ashram. The aid will reach Raxaul village of Bihar on May 15, and then be transported by road to Kathmandu, which is 140 km away. Swami Vimurtananda of the Ramakrishna Math flagged off the train carrying the relief material.