The Supreme Welfare Work
Srila Prabhupada exchanges letters with the Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh
Relief Fund Committee of Hyderabad, India: “...if you want to perform
relief work simply by collecting funds, I think that will not be successful. You
have to please the supreme authority, and that is the way to success. For ex-
ample, due to the performance of sankirtana [congregational chanting of
Hare Krsna] here, the rain has begun to fall after a drought of two years... .”
~ Revered Swamiiji,

The residents of the twin cities are happy to have this opportunity to
meet you and your esteemed followers. You may be aware that due to in-
adequate rainfall during the last two years and its complete failure this
year, more than half of our state [Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern In-
dia] is in the grip of a serious drought. With a view to supplement
governmental efforts to combat this evil, a Central Voluntary Organiza-
tion of citizens drawn from various walks of life has been set up. The
members of this organization surveyed the areas affected by drought.
The situation is pathetic. There are villages where drinking water is not
available for miles. Due to scarcity of fodder, the cattle owners are part-
ing with their cattle for a nominal price. Many of the stray cattle are dying
away due to unavailability of fodder and water. The food problem is also
very serious. Due to high prices of food grains on the open market,
purchase of grains at market prices is beyond the reach of poor villagers,
with the result that at least five to six million people are hardly having
one meal a day. There are many who are on the verge of starvation. The
entire situation is most pathetic and heartrending.

We therefore appeal to your revered self to consider how your Society
could best come to the rescue of these millions of souls who are in
unimaginable distress. The Committee would like to suggest that mem-
bers of your Society appeal to the bhaktas [devotees] attending your dis-
courses to contribute their mite to the Andhra Pradesh Relief Fund.

The Committee is prepared to send some of its representatives along

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