India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been instrumental in search and rescue operations carried out in Earthquake hit Nepal. NDRF had the largest presence on ground with 16 teams working hard to help Nepalis who were affected by the earthquake. While yesterday, angry Nepalis trended #GoHomeIndianMedia to protest against their insensitive, irresponsible, and sensationalist reporting, today on 4th May a new “news” was being spread by Indian media about NDRF being sent back:

Nepal govt asks NDRF to wind up earthquake relief operations and return to India, say reports. http://t.co/3SoL84Ehjd — Firstpost (@firstpost) May 4, 2015

BREAKING | Nepal Govt wants NDRF to wind up #NepalQuake rescue operations from Nepal LIVE: http://t.co/nAGJZvxOXM pic.twitter.com/JRyLt6A1du — CNN-IBN News (@ibnlive) May 4, 2015

National Disaster Response Force asked by Nepalese government to withdraw its rescue teams: Sources — NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2015

From the above reports, most Twitter users felt that now Nepal had asked only NDRF to go back to India. Many tried to connect this with the claim that India has been more engaged in showing off its help offered to Nepal rather than focussing on the actual rescue operations.

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Planning Editor of CNN-IBN put out this tweet, which was Retweeted by IBN’s official handle:

Nepal govt wants NDRF to wind up operations. Sources to @ibnlive Nepal doesn’t appreciate the undue publicity in India during time of crisis — AnshuChhibber (@AnshuChhibber) May 4, 2015

Consulting Editor at Times of India, Sagarika Ghose too said something similar:

After Nepal folks trended #GoHomeIndianMedia, Nepal now tells NDRF to wind up operations in Nepal. — Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 4, 2015

But as usual, the truth was different. After a high level meeting of Nepal’s Disaster Panel, late on 3rd May, it was decided by them that ALL 4,050 foreign rescue and search personnel be sent back, as its own security personnel can handle the task of recovering the remaining bodies of people. The Nepal Home Ministry spokesperson had said the following to IANS:

“At the meeting, it has decided to send back all foreign rescue and search teams back as their mission is almost complete. Very few dead bodies are likely to remain in the rubble which our own security agencies are enough to handle”

Comically, this was reported by NDTV itself, while it tweeted today that “NDRF has been asked to withdraw”: While the above news was reported by NDTV as an IANS report, the same NDTV, today reported this same item as a “source” based news: It appears, the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand has done in NDTV. As people realised that this order of withdrawal of forces was not applicable to only India, NDTV and IBN too realised their mistake and put out of clarification tweets:

UPDATE: Nepal asks all rescue teams from 34 nations assisting in earthquake relief to withdraw — NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2015

NDRF DG to @ibnlive@ananyadg “All foreign search & rescue teams have been asked to wind up ops. NDRF medical teams still in #Nepal.” — Sayoni Aiyar (@sayoniaiyar) May 4, 2015

Finally, Ministry of External Affairs too tweeted the correct clarification:

@horror06 Search and rescue phase is over. Indian relief efforts will continue. (2/2) — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) May 4, 2015

.@horror06 Search and rescue phase is over. Indian relief efforts will continue. (2/2) — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) May 4, 2015



But Sagarika Ghose still had comprehension issues. Although MEA clearly said “Relief work” will go on, only Search and Rescue mission is over, Mrs Ghose had other ideas:

India’s disaster relief in Nepal is over. https://t.co/iR8QcrHuR5 — Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 4, 2015

(Thanks to a twitter user for the tip-off)