National

A People Still At Sea

Money, housing, relief material, tools of trade... governments and civil society pitch in torehabilitate the tsunami-hit fisherman. But can they give him back life as he knew it?

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A People Still At Sea
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Baskaran’s midway lapse into the past tense may be a cruel twist inflicted by the tsunami, but few helping him today can understand the reality he lived by. Like the adivasi who is in a symbiotic relationship with the forest, people like Baskaran too live by and subsist on the forest they call the sea. But, for a civil society ignorant of fisherfolk ways, the best of efforts and the most honest of intentions are falling woefully short of giving them back what they have lost.

Not that there is any dearth of effort on the part of the government or the civil society. Till last count, 8,90,885 people were deemed affected in Tamil Nadu. The government has promised Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of each of the 7,921 people declared dead. By January 2, most families in Tamil Nadu had got the government package of a dhoti, saree, two bedsheets, 60 kg rice, 3 litres kerosene, Rs 2,000 for purchase of provisions and utensils; and Rs 2,000 for putting up a hut as a temporary measure. Orphanages have been opened. For fishermen who lost their nets or boats to the tsunami, some 10,000 nets at a total cost of Rs 20 crore are to be provided and Rs 25 crore has been allocated for repairing and rebuilding boats and catamarans.

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In Pondicherry, officially 577 have died, 106 are missing and 50,000 are displaced. While Tamil Nadu is drawing up a separate plan to rehabilitate survivors to safer locations, Pondicherry Lieutenant Governor M.M. Lakhera has said: "For some villages, we have even identified new land. We are considering government and temple surplus land." But while this may be possible in rural areas, it may create problems close to urban centres and tourist hubs.

At Karikattakuppam near Chennai, 300 families have occupied land opposite the Vembuliamman temple. "Water did not reach this high plane, so we chose this land. We will not budge from here and want the government to build us pucca houses here," says M. Ilavarasan. The government has promised it will announce its pucca housing scheme soon.

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Forget pucca housing, Chandiran is having trouble putting up his temporary hut. "When we tried building semi-permanent structures with the Rs 2,000 the government has given us, the collector did not allow it. We are afraid they will try resettling us in some remote landlocked area." It’s something many fear in the relief camps that dot the East Coast Road which links Chennai to Pondicherry. "The government has promised a lot. Now one can only hope that the money goes to the deserving, and is not siphoned off."

Scepticism assails the affected from another direction, especially in relief efforts led by spiritual or religious groups. In the 3,000-family strong Devanamapattinam in Cuddalore district, Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi is working in right earnest. He is here with a contingent led by Rishikesh-based Swami Chidanand Saraswati. Ostensibly into ‘rural development’ and ‘culture spirituality’, the Swami’s India Heritage Research Fou ndation is proud of its association with the rss and is equally passionate about both cow protection and organic farming. It’s an enthusiasm the fisherpeople are unlikely to share.

In Nagapattinam, Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Art of Living Foundation is playing an officially sanctioned role in psychosocial counselling. Says Cuddalore collector G. Gagandeepsingh Bedi, "We have several applications from religious groups offering to adopt villages, but we are very careful. We insist they do not use religious symbols in their work." But missionary zeal does not need religious symbols alone to get its message across. On the third day after the tsunami, the Evangelical Church of India provided survivors with blue tents, stoves, vessels and provisions. But as Ilavarasan says, "We are sceptical of the Evangelical Church of India’s long-term agenda. It’s okay as long as they give us tents, food etc. We don’t want them to think we’ll convert." Chandiran recounts the dilemma he confronted with a Hare Krishna group. "They provided us excellent food for five days," he says. "But when we asked for boats and nets, they said their ideology did not encourage the killing of fish. It was then that we realised that they don’t even like what we do for a living."

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However much NGOs, vested interest groups and individuals may do, it is the government, it seems, that the people finally repose their faith in. In some of the worst-affected villages of Parangipettai area in Tamil Nadu, power was restored the evening of the tsunami. "New sodium vapour lamps were installed by 6 pm the same day. Overall, we are happy with the government’s relief work," says Devadas.

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In Kerala, the greater achievement has been the rare show of political camaraderie, where all parties submerged differences to attend the meeting convened by the government. The calamity hit nine districts in the state, affecting 4,00,000 people. Alappad panchayat in the southern district of Kollam accounted for 131 out of the total 171 deaths. In all, 17,381 houses were damaged or destroyed. Some 22,000 people are in 35 relief camps. A total of 10,065 boats (most of them motorised craft) were destroyed and 2,257 fishing nets were washed away. The government has constituted a disaster management department and initiated a process of consultation with all sections concerned, especially scientific experts, to arrive at consensus solutions. It is seeking a total of Rs 1,358.52 crore assistance from the Centre. Of this, Rs 372.88 crore has been sought for constructing sea walls, the rest for housing and rehabilitation.

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Central aid is something Andhra Pradesh too is eagerly awaiting. The official death toll in the state stands at 105, in addition to the damage to hundreds of houses, fishing boats and acres of crops along the southern coastal districts of Nellore, Prakasham, Guntur and Krishna. However, most of the victims were able to move out of relief camps in three to four days. People whose houses were totally destroyed have been paid Rs 1,500 while those whose houses were partially damaged have been given Rs 750 in aid. The victims were also given money to buy utensils and 20 kg of rice each. However, the worst-affected fishermen who have lost their boats and nets are still waiting for the aid promised to get them back on the sea.

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According to state government estimates, 2,410 fishing boats have been lost and 9,197 damaged. Fishing tackle worth Rs 102.36 lakh has been destroyed. The relief commissioner’s office claims once it receives the promised central aid package of Rs 100 crore, it will disburse funds to the fisheries department which will oversee the rehabilitation of these fishermen.

For, the fisherfolk have to get back to the sea soon. That’s the only life they know. They have borne the wrath of the sea. It’s time to make their peace with it again.

By S. Anand on the East Coast Road, John Mary in Kollam and Savitri Choudhury in Visakhapatnam

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