 In the last week of 2004, Manasunami devastated coastal areas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and India, taking the lives of 200,000 people and destroying millions of homes. In order to avoid duplication of relief efforts and for better coordination among various countries, India, along with US, Australia and Japan formed a core group in the initial days after the tsunami. Later, the task was taken up by the United Nations. Unfortunately, the Indian subcontinent was to witness another huge natural calamity within a year of the tsunami, an earthquake of the magnitude of 7.4 on Richter scale with epicenter near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir POK struck in the morning of October 8, 2005 and devastated areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan occupied Kashmir and northern Pakistan. Entire villages and communities were destroyed. In Jammu and Kashmir, within 30 minutes of the earthquake, Indian Army and Air Force had swung into operation for providing relief in the worst affected areas of Barhmula, Ponch, Kupwala, Srinagar, Tangdhar and Uri in coordination with the state administration and para-military forces. While India's immediate relief effort concentrated on the Indian side of the line of control, LOC, it was conscious of the enormous tragedy that had unfolded on the other side. Among the first calls that President Musharraf received was from the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, offering any assistance which Pakistan deemed appropriate. The Indian offer of help was neither a fad nor fetish, nor was it to play politics. It was based on purely humanitarian concerns, the considerations of insanyat. India firmly believed that it had the resources and the expertise to provide relief not only on its own side of LOC but also on the other side. On November 17, India sent the third relief train carrying 600 tons of relief material. This brought the total relief sent by India through one aircraft and three trains to about 900 tons of relief material valued at approximately 4.7 million US dollars. Due to tough terrain and destruction, many affected villagers on the LOC were inaccessible from the Pakistani side. India offered to mobilize relief supplies across the LOC and to even send foot patrols of medical personnel across. Following the initiative of the government, India's civil society institutions could not be left behind. Indian private sector companies, religious institutions, political parties, industry chambers and even private individuals sent aid to Pakistan. To facilitate the receiving of donations from Indian civil society, Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was given permission to open a bank account to receive cash donations. On October 16, after government of India had already sent two consignments of relief material to Pakistan, the Delhi Sikh Curudwara Prabhanda Committee, SGPC, sent its first consignment of 18,000 blankets, 1500 tents and 20,000 meters of plastic sheets, bamboos and ropes to the Pakistan Sikh Curudwara Prabhanda Committee. The tsunami and the earthquake in two extremities of South Asia have brought to the fore the terrible consequences of natural disasters. It has taught us that no one rich or poor, India or Pakistan is immune to the wrath of nature. It has also hopefully taught us that the only power that can work in such circumstances is that of human fellowship and sharing without regard to national frontiers or ideologies.