Group Raises Funds for India

A group of Harvard students is raising funds for the victims of the earthquake which shook India last Thursday, leaving close to 30,000 dead.

Natasha D. Bir '96 and Rajni Rao '96, both of whom have relatives in India, have been working with the South Asian Association to send money to the International Red Cross in India.

"Harvard students are so isolated from the real world they many times don't even realize when a crisis has happened," Bir said.

Bir began to distribute flyers about the earthquake last Friday night. Students have been tabling outside the Science Center since Monday, distributing literature and requesting donations of time and money from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

The South Asian Association has established an account for funds collected through the relief group's efforts.

"As a student organization, we are able to offer the manpower and contacts necessary for us to make this relief effort a success," said Sameer Bhargava `95, president of the South Asian Association.

Bir says she has been impressed by the generosity and sympathy of donors.

Bir declined to say how much money the group has collected, but said the group has no set financial goal and is not looking only for financial donations. "Not everbody can give a dollar," she said. "Others have donated their time. If the community is aware and pulls togther, I will be happy."

Students who want to donate money to the relief effort should contact Bir or Rao.