The Hindu Business Line : These fisher-folk are all at sea

They lived by the sea yet now they are terrified to venture into it. Instead, most of them are willing to take up any odd job to support their families.

Chennai , Jan. 2

Kasimedu

THE suture marks on Selva Azhagi's waist are still visible, the scars have barely healed. She obviously needs to be resting and definitely not running about for food packets and water.

When Selva sold her kidney a few weeks ago at a local hospital, all she could think of was the colour TV she would buy and the money she could save for "future needs." Little did she imagine that she would lose all of that and more.

On December 13, the 33-year-old came home from the hospital all excited to her brand new television, and stored the rest of her money "safely inside a box." But her excitement did not last long. A few days later, everything she had — fan, cot, vessels and clothes, the TV and Rs 22,000 in cash — were swept away in the massive tsunami rush that hit the coast of Kasimedu, in Chennai.

While the physical incision will soon heal, it may take months for Selva to overcome the trauma. A week after the tragedy, the waves still haunt her. She is virtually stranded on the streets with her family; a make-shift tent, a few clothes donated by NGOs and the government is all that they have today.

But Selva woman puts on a brave front. "As huge waves came sweeping into our hamlet, all I could think of was my children's safety. Of course the material loss is huge, but I am glad my children are alive," she says, looking at her daughters and sons with relief.

Selva's husband, P. Selvakumar, who had gone fishing that fateful morning, recollects the huge waves that rushed menacingly onto the shores. "The water reached great levels and within minutes we were submerged. I have never seen anything of this sort before," he says with awe. But the fearless disposition belies a deep sorrow.

Like most fishermen in and around the Kasimedu area, Selvakumar too has lost his catamaran and net worth Rs 50,000. With a loan of an equal amount staring him in the face, the future looks grim.

As one walks further down to Tondiarpet, more heart-tugging stories surface.

Young Parimala has lost both her daughters to the fury of nature. "I have lost something that is irreplaceable, what's loss of property to me!" Having adopted family planning measures eight years ago, the loss of these girls is a big blow to Parimala and her husband, Desappan.

Last Sunday, Desappan had gone fishing while Parimala was in the market area, selling fish. And their children, eight-year-old Logeshwari and six-year-old Surya, were "happily playing" with coconut shells on the beach sands near the Pallam area, blissfully unaware of what was to come.

Even when Parimala came looking for her children, there was nothing to suggest that the seas would soon erupt. "I came to the beach and called my girls home. But the elder one insisted on having idlis from the pushcart. She was such an adamant child and I had no go but to yield to her demands," narrates Parimala.

As the children were eating, Parimala could hear the fisher-folk scream about an oncoming wave. "I did not even bother to see what was around. I grabbed both my kids and began running. But all three of us were washed away."

Parimala soon slipped into unconsciousness. And when she opened her eyes, she began to cry for help to find her children. The fisher-folk soon started searching for the girls. While Logeshwari was found dead, the younger girl succumbed on the way to the hospital.

"Both my daughters studied so well. They always scored 90 per cent in their exams," says Parimala, longingly.

Srinivasapuram (Kottivakkam)

THE fishing community in Srinivasapuram adjoining Kottivakkam, a coastal area in southern Chennai, narrowly escaped death on Black Sunday. But 500 homes and all that they held were washed away in the blink of an eye.

"Our nets and boats have been destroyed. Our children have no schoolbooks or uniforms," laments Sugandhi, a fisherwoman.

For now, fisher-folk like Sugandhi are struggling to make ends meet by selling dry fish that was caught before the tsunami. "We have no nets to catch fish and our men are terrified to venture into the sea," says Mariamma, another fisherwoman.

The community is in dire straits and most of the fisher-folk are willing to take up any odd job to support their families.

Over 1,500 homeless people from the clan huddle together in two schools along the coast. The government distributes rice and pulses regularly to the victims and private donors are also lending a hand. "Many wealthy residents have come forward to give us clothes and food," says Mariamma.

Despite the relief efforts, the future seems bleak for the clan. As schools re-open this week, families are desperate to find the means to pay fees and buy books.

Yet fisherwomen like Meera are thanking their lucky stars that their children have been spared by the tsunami. "Every Sunday, our children play by the shore. Fortunately, we could save all of them in time," she says, heaving a sigh of relief.

The disaster has also brought about a team spirit within the community. "All the children in the hamlet are like my own," affirms Meera.

Policemen, on their part, also try to allay the fears of the fishing clans. A confident-looking S. Jayandhran patrols a nearby area that has not been severely damaged by the waves. Along with a team of burly officers, he keeps tabs on all the activities in the hamlet. "We are here just to give them moral support, even though the damage is not much."

Meanwhile, cartons of relief material were piling up during Sunday service at the Annai Velankanni Shrine in Besant Nagar, a coastal area in southern Chennai, where the fisher-folk suffered considerable property loss.

"On new year's day, we made a collection of Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 for the victims," points out the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Bernard Lawrence.

Donors from within the country and abroad have also done their bit to help the church in its relief efforts for the tsunami victims. Most of the donations have been used to set up medical camps for those rendered homeless by the tidal tragedy. About 100 fisher-folk have been given shelter on the church grounds and food has been provided to them regularly.

However, some of the relief operations have not been much of a smooth sail. As Fr Lawrence observes, "Many of the fishermen take the clothes that are distributed and sell them. The `haves' make use of the charity and the affected ones get excluded."

Voluntary organisations distributed lunch to the victims in the shrine and a lot of it was wasted. Consequently, the church parish has decided not to raise funds from corporates and individuals for now.

"We realised that only 50 per cent of the `victims' are genuine," adds Fr Lawrence.

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