---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Geetha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: May 19, 2005 6:34 PM
Dear Friend,
Please find enclosed the details of Coastal Yatra which will start
from Vedaranyam- Salt Satyagraha Memorial on 21st May at 8 am and
proceed upto Chennai and end with a Dharna at Chennai.Please support
the cause of the Coastal people in the struggle for Livelihood Rights
and True and Participatory Rehabilitation.
R.Geetha, G.Natarajan,R.Leelavathy,IPMoorthy----Unorganised Workers Federation
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Coastal Yatra for Livelihood Rights
>From May 21, Vedaranyam to May 30,Chennai
Coastal Yatra of representatives of National Fish workers Forum,
National Alliance of People's Movements, Unorganised Workers
Federation, Gram Swaraj Movement, Coastal Fisher people's Protection
Committee, Fisher people's Liberation Tigers,Coastal Action Network,
Sarpam Iruler Thozhilalar Sangam, Fisher people's Panchayats, Rural
organizations, Trade unions and Women's organizations will start from
Vedaranyam on May 21,2005 and end with a demonstration in Chennai on
May 30,2005.
The Coastal Yatra is undertaken mainly to focus
public-governmental attention on the need for people oriented and
participatory livelihood restoration, provision of housing organically
linked to livelihoods and a critique of the WB-ADB and UN Report on
post Tsunami Reconstruction Program and to create awareness among the
Coastal people on the livelihood rights.
The Tsunami hit people have been facing inadequate relief
measures, forced evictions and denial of livelihoods. Further the
recent ADB, WB and UN loan is based on assumption that in the name of
safety, harbour based fishing and aquaculture would be supported while
Coastal people could be removed to far off places, denying their
livelihoods. In this context, we appeal to you for Solidarity to
Suffering and struggling people, by actively supporting and
participating in the Coastal Yatra.
Following is a brief account of the situation and the issues:
On 26-12-04 Tsunami devastated the South Asian coast. It also hit
Tamil Nadu coast, killing about 10,000 people, destroying the
beautiful coast and properties worth of crores of the region, almost
all the fishing boats and nets and the houses of about 3.5 Lakh
families, affecting their livelihood. There was an immediate
intervention of individuals, organizations; the government came to the
scene late. The Tamil Nadu government passed number of orders for an
effective relief and rehabilitation. These GOs are not in Tamil,nor
made known to victims in any way.
The relief amounts and materials given by the Tamil Nadu
Government has not reached many victims especially women, because the
relief is given only to those who are members of the fishermen
co-operative society; but membership is optional and no new members
have been admitted for the last 5 years; the other unorganised sector
such as agriculture, construction, vendors, allied activities like
fish vending transporting processing small shops in spite of GOs
existing, the losses are not being compensated, nor provision of
relief to resume their livelihood.
The temporary houses given by the government are inhabitable. It
can't stand the heat of the sun nor the rains. It affects the dignity
of the people. There is no progress in the selection of permanent site
or construction of houses. All the more there is a genuine fear that
in the name of safety the entire coastal community will be displaced
while evictions have taken place in Chennai displacing five thousand
families to far off places depriving them of livelihood, but the coast
could be used for hotels, health resorts entertainment centre,
aquaculture in violation of CRZ and Supreme Court ruling etc. This is
a denial of livelihood to the fisher folk.
There is such a delay of 4 months and 24 days as per today to
implement rehabilitation measures, as per the tsunami related Gos,
because of which the people are not able replace their boats nets and
to go for fishing; subsequently all the allied activities are totally
paralyzed. This dependency has caused an irreparable social damage to
the hard working and well earning fishing community.
The Unorganised Sector Workers living in the coastal areas, the
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are not treated as victims of
tsunami and relief and rehabilitation as per the relevant Gos have not
been given. Though they are also fishing communities or involved in
allied activities they are not treated on par with the other fishing
communities because of the caste system. In fact they deserve special
consideration in the spirit of the Indian Constitution and the
socio-economic conditions of the SC/ ST Communities.
The rehabilitation assistance is given as Cheques by the Tamil
Nadu government with the beneficiary and fisheries department officer
as joint account. This paves ways for corruption and misappropriation
of relief and rehabilitation funds. There is no clear and specific
criteria nor methods followed to assess the damages and
rehabilitation. Governments feel that the people demand more than the
actual damage. But the same government is not coming forward with a
mechanism for a proper assessment of actual damages and to implement
rehabilitation program immediately. This delay and denial of
rehabilitation have caused not only social damage, economic loss but
also there is no final solution to the problem so that the people may
resume normal life. This is possible, as it has happened in Kerala,
provided there is a political will.
There is no transparency and accountability of the state
regarding the fund allotted/disbursed and collected from various
sources. It is unfortunate that there is no special fund for tsunami
relief and rehabilitation but Chief Minister relief fund. In the
assembly the Statement was made that Tsunami fund had 1900 crores, of
which 378 crores were spent. But the Central Finance Minister gave a
figure which is twice this amount.
The World Bank - Asian Development Bank- United Nations made a
Needs Assessment Report on the basis of which MOU has been signed for
providing to Govt of India a loan, of which 1380 lakhs USD is for
Tamil Nadu. It is indeed unfortunate that the entire report is based
on the wrong assumption that the traditional fishing sector is not
contributing much to the GDP while aquaculture is making substantial
contribution. Infact we oppose the Report for ignoring the customary
rights of traditional fisher people and for calling fisher people as
encroachers. Hence giving grants to aquaculture and shifting the
Coastal communities need to be opposed resolutely.
ISSUES AND URGENT NEEDS:
1. The list of affected families must be immediately put out on
notice boards and on the Internet. People's participation in
rehabilitation must be safeguarded through committees to be formed in
all the areas with adequate representation of fish workers,
unorganised sector workers, Dalits, Tribals, Youth and Women.
2. The State Govt must put out a True Report of Tsunami Relief
measures. Thousands of families left out in relief must be provided
with relief immediately Care must be taken to include widows, women
headed households in all the affected areas.
3. The Tsunami relief for the families of deceased and missing
person as well as for the injured persons must be provided
immediately.
4. Protected drinking water, toilets, electricity, balwadis must be
provided in all temporary and permanent shelters and Public health
ensured. Liquor shops on the coast should be closed immediately.
5. The housing and livelihood needs are organically linked and so
rehabilitation housing must be provided at locations chosen by the
affected communities and within 1 kilometer of the livelihood areas,
in protected places (2 cents in urban areas and 5 cents in rural
areas). The appropriate housing must be designed and built with
people's participation and provided free to the affected people.
Forced evictions taking place in North and South Chennai to far off
places (8-15 Kms), and blackmailing the people by withholding aid, are
illegal and must be stopped. The circular of Tsunami special
commissioner advocating removal of fishing communities but exempting
big establishments, must be withdrawn.
6. The fisher people who have lost fishing equipment, even if though
water had not entered their homes, they must be compensated for the
losses. Since the membership enrolment in Fisher co-operatives has
been stopped in the last 5 years the list of people to receive
livelihood assistance must be finalized only by consulting Fisher
Panchayats and boats and nets provided for the men. Fisher women of
each area should be provided with compensation in the form of fish
vessel, plate and Rs.5000 working capital to women Also, other
affected unorganised sector workers - boatyard carpenters, tricycle,
rickshaw, construction, beedi workers, beach vendors etc must be
compensated for the loss of equipment and tools and provided with
livelihood assistance.
7. Dredging of rivers, lakes and removal of sand bars at confluences
have to be done immediately.
8. No grants must be provided to Shrimp farms and they must be closed
as per the Supreme Court judgement and CRZ notification.
9. To prevent further sea erosion and impact of tsunamis and cyclones
in the future, mangrove forestry, building of protective walls and
stone piling on the coast must be undertaken with coastal people's
participation.
10. Since there are complaints about misdistribution of relief, the
relief must be provided with transparency with a monitoring committee
with people's participation. Stringent action must be taken on errant
officials.
11. Counseling and special rehabilitation scheme must be evolved with
people's participation for children's loss of parents, parent's loss
of children, loss of life partners, due to tsunami.
12. Shrimp farms, Nuclear power stations, Chemical factories and other
schemes endangering the environment and livelihoods must not be
allowed on the coast. Criminal cases foisted on the fisher and
agricultural people who protested against prawn farming must be with
drawn.
Detailed Programme
Nagapattinam District
21-05-2005 Public Meeting Vedaranyam
8.00AM Campaign Meetings Arkattuthurai-Pushpavanam-
Kallimedu-Vellapallam-Vanavanmadevi-
Virunthamavadi-Kameshwaram-Serudhur.
6.30PM Public Meeting Vellankanni
And stay
22-05-2005 Campaign Meetings Poikainallur-Kallar-Akkaraipettai-
Keechankumpam- Ariyanadu Theru-
Nambiyar Nagar-Nagathope -Nallayan
Thottam-Cooks Road-Temporary sheds
5.30PM Public Meeting Nagai Avari Thidal.
Karaikkal District-Puduvai
23-05-2005 Campaign T.R. Pattinam -Karaikkal
7.00AM Meetings
Nagapattinam District
23.05.2005
12.00 Noon Campaign Chanthirappadi-Tharangai-Perumal Pettai
Meetings Pommaiyar Pettai-Vellaikkovil-Pudhu
Pettai-Vanagiri-Poompukar-Pudhukuppam
Andi Pettai-Sava Kuppam-Perunthottam.
24-05-2005 Campaign Konayang Pattinam-Keelamoovar Kari-
6.00AM Thirumullaivasal-Thoduvai-Palayar.
Cuddalore District
10.00AM Public Meeting Killai Pillumedu, Chinna Vaikkal ,Kannagi
Nagar
Campaign MGR Nagar-Kalaignar Nagar-MGR Thittu
Mudasalodai
3.00PM Seminar Cuddalore Town
6.00PM Campaign Thazhanguda- Devananpattinam - Sangoli
Kuppam
Pondichery
25-05-2005
6.00AM Campaign Parangipettai- Chinnur North and South-
Pudukkuppam-Thammanampettai
9.00AM Dharna Singara velar Statue
Periyakalapattu-Pillaichavady-Southanai
Kuppam
Villupuram District Campaign Kottaikuppam-Nadukuppam-
Chinnamuthaliyar chavady-Tanthuranyan
Kuppam-Muthaliyar Kuppam-Koonimedu-
Kaipanikuppam-Anumanthaikuppam.
Kanchepuram District
27-05-2005 Campaign Kollathur-Kadapakkam-Satraz-
Mahapallipuram-Kovalam-Neelankarai.
Chennai District
28.05.2005
7.00AM Campaign Thiruvanmiyur-Odaikuppam-Ururkuppam
9.00AM Campaign Mullikuppam-Mullimanagar-Rajeevgandhi
Nagar-Nampikkainagar-Pavanikuppam
Dooming Kuppam-Thideernagar-Nochi
Nagar-Nochikuppam
3.00PM Campaign Nadukuppam-Neelan Basha Darga-
Mattankuppam-Ayothikuppam
5.00PM Campaign Rayapuram-Kasimedu-Tandiarpet
Thiruvallur District
29.05.2005 Campaign Thiruvetriyur-Ennur-Palaverkadu-
Arambakkam.
Chennai City
30.5.2005 Dharna Chepauk State Guest House
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