Shobha Warrier in Nagapattinam January 24, 2005 15:45 ISTLast Updated: January 24, 2005 16:17 IST
When I entered one of the rows of temporary shelters built for tsunami victims in Pattancherry village in Nagapattinam, I witnessed a minor scuffle in a corner.
Some inmates had surrounded a Christian priest and two nuns, and a war of words was going on.
"We are Hindus and we want to live as Hindus. Why do you want to convert us?" some young men shouted at the missionaries.
The priest said, "We are not here to convert people. We were only offering prayers for your peace of mind."
But flashing some pamphlets distributed among them by the three, the inmates snorted, "What does this mean?"
The priest had no answer.
"Why do you enter our houses and pray?," they asked. "Your nuns do this when our women are alone at home. We know how to pray."
The young men were extremely furious. The priest was unruffled. But the nuns were shaken by the sudden surge of animosity from the muscular men.
The scuffle went on till the three were forced to leave the place.
Day two:
As I was visiting the areas close to the sea that were badly affected by the tsunami waves, I saw another angry scene outside another temple in another village.
Police jeeps were seen parked outside the temple in Samandapettai. So was a van.
Villagers were complaining to the police about a missionary group to which the van belonged.
They said the group had taken away to another place their belongings and the relief they had got from nongovernmental organisations and the government, which they had kept inside the temple, because they refused to listen to its missionaries.
"They want to try their luck at some other place. Since we resisted, they took away our things. We won't allow this to happen," they said. "Why don't you arrest all of them?" the villagers asked the police.
The villagers' torrent of angry words continued. "We have lost everything to the sea. They said they would help us if we followed their religion. What logic is this? Are they here to help us or change our religion?" The police couldn't cool their tempers.
The group said it did not take away the belongings of the villagers and insisted that the contents inside the van belonged to it.
That evening, some villagers came with the news that the police had arrested the priest they had confronted the previous day. Apparently some angry villagers had gheraoed him, and forced the police to arrest him.
"He shouldn't be doing this when we are grieving, when we are suffering. Everything has its time and place," a villager said.
When I wanted to talk to the panchayat president and locals of the Karakkalmedu village at Karaikkal, they called me inside the village temple. That was where they met outsiders. The temple has become the centre of activity in the village.
Before we started talking, one of them opened the door to the sanctum sanctorum and pointed to a mark left by the strong tsunami waves. They told me that water stopped at the feet of their deity and then receded. "We might have suffered, but our Goddess saved us."
This belief had taken the villagers all the more closer to their deity.
"That is why it hurts us when others come and tell us that it was because of our God and our belief that we suffered. We won't let anyone exploit us when we are down," the panchayat members asserted.
Monday, January 31, 2005
From tent to shoeboxes
Fisherfolk in many villages refuse to move into shoddy temporary structures
By Max MartinKancheepuram:
It has all the trappings of something that has had an auspicious beginning – ribbons studded with penants and mango leaves, melons smeared with saffron, and bunches of bananas. But beyond the decoration and the inaugural plaque, this colony of 45 shoebox-like black boxes remains uninhabited. Not a single soul.Fishermen in several villages along the coast of Kancheepuram have refused to shift into the windowless light-roof cubicles – of roughly 120 square feet – that the government has built for them as temporary shelters.Bang beside the East Coast Road, at Patipulam, about 20 minutes drive away from the famous Mammalapuram shore temple, huge banners welcomed ministers and the local member of the state legislative assembly to the inaugural of the temporary shelters on January 14, the day of the harvest festival Pongal.After the inaugural show, over the weekend, the shelters remained absolutely empty. Similarly, villagers in several villages in the area have refused to move into these shacks and preferred to stay on in tents and hutments along the coast.“They are hot and they stink,” said Thasappa Sekar of Selavanakuppam in Kancheepuram, who refused to move into a light-roof structure. Besides the style of the hutment, he and his neighbours found the new location offered to them across the road inconvenient.An inspection of the sheds confirmed the fisherfolk’s reservations. The corrugated cardboard coated with tar - and brown primer paint in some instances - give a peculiar smell and the structures do not have any well-deifined ventilation – exept the door and sometimes a narrow gap under the roof shoddily built up over a wooden frame.The walls can be torn away easily.In Puthu Edayur village in Kancheepuram, the temporary shelters are located on a low, wet ground, where water would come out if one presses the ground hard enough with foot. “Years ago we came here to rescue villagers trapped in a flood here,” recalled Thasappa Sekar, fisherman.In most cases villagers have not choice.At Elanthope village along the same highway, B Muragan (60) lives in a tent supplied by a charty that came soon after the tsunami. Most of his village has been washed away and the government is all set to shift the people to a set of shoeboxes. “It is only for a while, I hope,” said Murugan.Eager to meet evacuating relief camps by before the Pongal— harvest festival –government herded thousands of people into temporary shelters – made of tin sheets, light roof and other such material.State governments has also been pushing tin sheets supplied from Gujrarat, reportedly rejected leftover from the Kutch cyclone rehabilitation efforts, fishermen said.Fishermen said that besides becoming virtual ovens these shelters could be health hazards as winds could blow away these roofs and cause injury. Aid workers said that such injuries were recorded in Bangladesh during cyclones, when tin sheets and steel pipes that held them together became missiles.The Indian Express reported that the issue of rehabilitating fishermen in temporary shelters was discussed between senior officials and NGOs. S Jaibal, head of Nagapattinam Fishermen’s Union said that the government had agreed to provide shelters with roofs made of lightwood or artificial pulp material.‘‘Thatched roofs were suggested but were struck down because of fire hazards,” Jaibal told The Indian Express. “Senior officers who were present in the meeting had assured us that the roofs would be of lightwood. But they have suddenly changed their decision. It is not acceptable.’’A Government Resolution issued on January 6 through the Revenue Department, said: ‘‘The Collectors are given specific instructions that the design of the temporary structures and the location is acceptable to the fishermen in each habitation. It should not be seen as a government plan to forcibly relocate them though many have expressed the desire to relocate.’’But what happens on ground is a clear violation of this directive
By Max MartinKancheepuram:
It has all the trappings of something that has had an auspicious beginning – ribbons studded with penants and mango leaves, melons smeared with saffron, and bunches of bananas. But beyond the decoration and the inaugural plaque, this colony of 45 shoebox-like black boxes remains uninhabited. Not a single soul.Fishermen in several villages along the coast of Kancheepuram have refused to shift into the windowless light-roof cubicles – of roughly 120 square feet – that the government has built for them as temporary shelters.Bang beside the East Coast Road, at Patipulam, about 20 minutes drive away from the famous Mammalapuram shore temple, huge banners welcomed ministers and the local member of the state legislative assembly to the inaugural of the temporary shelters on January 14, the day of the harvest festival Pongal.After the inaugural show, over the weekend, the shelters remained absolutely empty. Similarly, villagers in several villages in the area have refused to move into these shacks and preferred to stay on in tents and hutments along the coast.“They are hot and they stink,” said Thasappa Sekar of Selavanakuppam in Kancheepuram, who refused to move into a light-roof structure. Besides the style of the hutment, he and his neighbours found the new location offered to them across the road inconvenient.An inspection of the sheds confirmed the fisherfolk’s reservations. The corrugated cardboard coated with tar - and brown primer paint in some instances - give a peculiar smell and the structures do not have any well-deifined ventilation – exept the door and sometimes a narrow gap under the roof shoddily built up over a wooden frame.The walls can be torn away easily.In Puthu Edayur village in Kancheepuram, the temporary shelters are located on a low, wet ground, where water would come out if one presses the ground hard enough with foot. “Years ago we came here to rescue villagers trapped in a flood here,” recalled Thasappa Sekar, fisherman.In most cases villagers have not choice.At Elanthope village along the same highway, B Muragan (60) lives in a tent supplied by a charty that came soon after the tsunami. Most of his village has been washed away and the government is all set to shift the people to a set of shoeboxes. “It is only for a while, I hope,” said Murugan.Eager to meet evacuating relief camps by before the Pongal— harvest festival –government herded thousands of people into temporary shelters – made of tin sheets, light roof and other such material.State governments has also been pushing tin sheets supplied from Gujrarat, reportedly rejected leftover from the Kutch cyclone rehabilitation efforts, fishermen said.Fishermen said that besides becoming virtual ovens these shelters could be health hazards as winds could blow away these roofs and cause injury. Aid workers said that such injuries were recorded in Bangladesh during cyclones, when tin sheets and steel pipes that held them together became missiles.The Indian Express reported that the issue of rehabilitating fishermen in temporary shelters was discussed between senior officials and NGOs. S Jaibal, head of Nagapattinam Fishermen’s Union said that the government had agreed to provide shelters with roofs made of lightwood or artificial pulp material.‘‘Thatched roofs were suggested but were struck down because of fire hazards,” Jaibal told The Indian Express. “Senior officers who were present in the meeting had assured us that the roofs would be of lightwood. But they have suddenly changed their decision. It is not acceptable.’’A Government Resolution issued on January 6 through the Revenue Department, said: ‘‘The Collectors are given specific instructions that the design of the temporary structures and the location is acceptable to the fishermen in each habitation. It should not be seen as a government plan to forcibly relocate them though many have expressed the desire to relocate.’’But what happens on ground is a clear violation of this directive
Next step for rehabilitation of Tsunami affected
The Board members of the RC of Chennai Kilpauk met to decide the next step of action that will be taken to help those afected by the Tsunami.
The Club has received requests from the collector (Govt. Bureaucrats, Indian Administrative Service) of Cuddalore asking our help in setting up play equipment for schools. The Board agreed to sponsor play equipment for 3 schools. Two schools which would receive play equipment would be in the Khillai area where we distributed our family building kits on the 7th of January 2005. We are told that though schools have re opened many children are not going back for a variety fo reasons, no books, bags and stationery seem to be the most prevalent and also the trauma they have gone through is showing up.
A letter received from the village where we installed TV Ross was read out. The village has jointly written a very moving letter. They say that while they are affected by the Tsunami as much as any other village and they have lost all their boats and nets and most of their houses have been damaged, they are still not getting enough attention and help because there has been no loss of life in their village. They are scared that they will be left to fend for themselves without any help. The Club has given the residents of this village a 29 inch TV, radios, play things for the children and rice. The Club has also installed a water treatment plant in this village. The men are willing to form a co operative and repay all monies that can be advanced to help them start afresh.
It was decided that on the 19th, when our visitors from Strathcona Sunrise and Rtn. Tim Johnson from Oregon come in we will take them and show them the damage caused by the Tsunami and will visit this village which has sought help. We will also distribute on the 19th relief material to another village.
A small committee has been formed to go nto the merits of all suggestions and to hold discussions with Govt. agencies to find out what we can do to rehabilitate.
The Club has received requests from the collector (Govt. Bureaucrats, Indian Administrative Service) of Cuddalore asking our help in setting up play equipment for schools. The Board agreed to sponsor play equipment for 3 schools. Two schools which would receive play equipment would be in the Khillai area where we distributed our family building kits on the 7th of January 2005. We are told that though schools have re opened many children are not going back for a variety fo reasons, no books, bags and stationery seem to be the most prevalent and also the trauma they have gone through is showing up.
A letter received from the village where we installed TV Ross was read out. The village has jointly written a very moving letter. They say that while they are affected by the Tsunami as much as any other village and they have lost all their boats and nets and most of their houses have been damaged, they are still not getting enough attention and help because there has been no loss of life in their village. They are scared that they will be left to fend for themselves without any help. The Club has given the residents of this village a 29 inch TV, radios, play things for the children and rice. The Club has also installed a water treatment plant in this village. The men are willing to form a co operative and repay all monies that can be advanced to help them start afresh.
It was decided that on the 19th, when our visitors from Strathcona Sunrise and Rtn. Tim Johnson from Oregon come in we will take them and show them the damage caused by the Tsunami and will visit this village which has sought help. We will also distribute on the 19th relief material to another village.
A small committee has been formed to go nto the merits of all suggestions and to hold discussions with Govt. agencies to find out what we can do to rehabilitate.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Laying down plans
We seem to be making so many plans, yes, the earlier plans were for provision of emergency relief and now plans are being made for serious rehabilitation. The devastation has been of such magnitude in the State of Tamilnadu that over 168,000 families have been completely displaced and many more thousands have lost most of their property.
In a matter of 15 minutes so much was lost on the day after Christmas last year. While the images of the damages left behind by the Tsunami fade form the minds of most people, we need to keep them afresh so we do not forget the people who continue to suffer.
A small team will be formed this evening toexamine the various proposals and then decide the further course of action. The club will keep in mind the following:
1. The need of the people
2. Government help
3. Feasibility
4. Sustainability
5. Funding
There will be more news about our plans on this blog in the days to come.
In a matter of 15 minutes so much was lost on the day after Christmas last year. While the images of the damages left behind by the Tsunami fade form the minds of most people, we need to keep them afresh so we do not forget the people who continue to suffer.
A small team will be formed this evening toexamine the various proposals and then decide the further course of action. The club will keep in mind the following:
1. The need of the people
2. Government help
3. Feasibility
4. Sustainability
5. Funding
There will be more news about our plans on this blog in the days to come.
RC of Chennai Kilpauk is getting ready to welcome visitors
We will have four visitors who are coming into Chennai. The visitors are Peggy and Kel Carswell who will spend a few days with us. They are accompanied by their photographer Sarah. They are on their way to Assam to help farmers reduce their dependancy on chemical fertlizers and hybrid seeds. Peggy and Kel have helped the RC of Strathcona Sunrise raise funds for our Tsunami relief too. Durng their stay we hope to show them what we have done to provide relief to the Tsunami affected people and our future plans in this regard.
Peggy and Kel will also review the Helping Hands project which is a WCS project wth Strathcona Sunrise for the benefit of the disabled.
Also coming in on the same days will be Tim Johnson of the Medford Rogue Rotary, who is already in Sri Lanka and he will be coming into Chennai on the morning of 19th February 2005. The same evening Peggy and Kel will come in at 10 PM.
Peggy and Kel will also review the Helping Hands project which is a WCS project wth Strathcona Sunrise for the benefit of the disabled.
Also coming in on the same days will be Tim Johnson of the Medford Rogue Rotary, who is already in Sri Lanka and he will be coming into Chennai on the morning of 19th February 2005. The same evening Peggy and Kel will come in at 10 PM.
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