INDIA: Bloggers to the rescue

Online diaries help people contact missing kin in Mumbai after blasts

Straits Times
Friday, July 14, 2006

Mumbai --- As Mumbai struggled to come to terms with the enormous tragedy that struck it on Tuesday, the online community pitched in to provide information on the victims and an outlet for their grief.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) said many overseas Indians turned to the blogs to get information when communication lines got jammed soon after the series of blasts on commuter trains.

"Most Indians living abroad had no way of getting through to their loved ones, no way of knowing if they were safe and sound. I think our blog helped because we called up relatives in Mumbai and got the message across to frantic kin abroad," said blogger Amit Varma.

He contributes to Mumbai help, which was used extensively on Tuesday.

On the blog, many posted photographs and descriptions of relatives who had still not returned home after the evening's rush-hour train explosions.

Mr Hemant Patil in Britain, concerned about his father in Mumbai, posted a desperate plea. He got several responses in less than an hour from people who managed to contact his father.

"Thank you all for your support and help," he wrote in response.

"My sister was able to establish contact with my father. He is fine, Thank God! He was safely back at home when the blasts happened."

Other bloggers, such as Mr Shiladitya C, announced their intention to help people find missing ones. "I'm going to try and get photographs of unidentified wounded and deceased at the hospitals," he wrote.

Mumbaihelp was set up after the city was hit last year by floods in which more than 400 people were killed, according to blog guide Global Voices Online.

On other blogs, people vented their anguish and anger in equal measure over the blasts.

Referring to Mumbai, a blogger who identified himself as Thariel wrote: "Why Bombay? Why always Bombay? Because it's big and successful, so if you can make a splash there you're sure to hit the big time."

Blogging, a relatively new online activity wherein one can write an online diary, and invite comments from readers, has picked up fast in India.

Some bloggers were office workers who stayed up late on Tuesday night to monitor developments and update their blogs.

Mr Varma said it was "difficult to quantify the actual number of people who benefited from our blog" but "the number of comments that we have got do make a point that blogs are something people look at in times of crisis."

"That is the reason we started this blog and we hope it will come in useful later on as well."

Date Posted: 7/14/2006