Paradise lost: tsunami crushes age-old Indian tribe Wed Jun 1, 2005 08:29 AM ET
Full text at http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=8665184&src=rss/scienceNews Excerpt By Simon Denyer CAR NICOBAR, India (Reuters) - For thousands of years India's gentle Nicobarese tended their coconut plantations and reared pigs on the sandy shores of their island paradise. Today, the tribespeople have turned their backs on the sea, and may be turning their backs on their ancient way of life. The tsunami that struck their shores five months ago not only killed thousands of Nicobarese, it cracked the very foundations of their economy and their society. "People have not come out of their shock and trauma," said Samuel Stephen, a 35-year-old a government worker from the flattened village of Mus on the northern tip of Car Nicobar. "People are scared by the sound of the waves at night. Even the noise of buses and trucks at odd hours gets them up," he said. "But the worst change is in their behavior. They have started drinking too much." Driving along the eastern coast of Car Nicobar, on a rare visit by a foreign journalist -- even Indians need permits to come here -- the physical wounds feel almost as fresh as ever. The bodies may have been cleared away, but little else seems to have changed since Dec. 26. The gaping shell of a medical center is surrounded by sand, rubble and fallen coconut palms, all that remains of the bustling village of Lalpathy. A small sign has been erected to "Erstwhile Lalpathy," lest its residents forget where they once lived. Village after village has been literally wiped off the map. Officially, at least 850 people died on this Indian Ocean island out of a population of 19,000. Privately, officials admit the toll may have been much higher. CLOSE-KNIT SOCIETY The Nicobarese fled inland to escape the tsunami's wrath. And that is where they remain today, in mosquito-infested relief camps in the forests or, increasingly, in government-built shelters supposed to protect them from the monsoon rains. More at http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=8665184&src=rss/scienceNews ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/pkgkPB/SOnJAA/Zx0JAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- This is ZESTGlobal. Post articles on international affairs to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTGlobal by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/join/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
