NRI Lord Paul would take care of all the needs of a hundred children who are orphaned
President getting calls from India, abroad for tsunami relief

New Delhi, Dec 31, 2004

Help is coming from far and near for victims of the Tsunami disaster, with NRI businessman Lord Swraj Paul joining the club of those approaching President A P J Abdul Kalam with offers of contribution to the relief measures.

"I am getting a large number of calls from noble hearted persons volunteering to provide all possible support to the affected persons in this critical time," Kalam said here today.

The President said he had received a call from Lord Paul that he would like to take care of all the needs of a hundred children who are orphaned due to the tsunami devastation.

Kalam, who was delivering the Prof D S Kothari Memorial Lecture 2004 at the Delhi University, said only today he got an e-mail from an IT professional working with Amazon.Com Rajlakshmi Subramaniam informing him about a website she has lauched to collect money for the tsunami-hit people.

"Launched just two days back, through the website, she has already collected five million dollars for tsunami relief," Kalam said.

The President has been receiving messages of sympathy and support from across the globe, including from heads of state such as South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, Slovenian Presdient Janez Drnovsek, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Winner of Presidential elections in Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church in Damascus Ignatius Zakka I have also sent their messages. PTI