Vessel of dreams

AHANA

Acryptic message in my email inbox a few days ago. A twinge of jealousy within me - I wish I could do the same.

But who is Samir?

Samir J. Nazareth is an old friend, my neighbour in Pondicherry, a student at the University there. He is a volunteer with Greenpeace India for over four years now.

Greenpeace is an organisation that believes in preventing harm to the environment using the concept of non-violent direct action - which means protests, and novel forms of protest at that. That is why they dressed up as tomatoes and brinjals in Bangalore. It is thus a global campaigning organisation that brings to notice the need for phasing out fossil fuels and promoting renewable energy, for eliminating toxic chemicals, against the release of genetically modified organisms, for nuclear disarmament and to end nuclear contamination. The ship Rainbow Warrior is as well known as the organisation it belongs to.

How did Samir get into this? And what is it all about?

Here are excerpts from an interview.

What made you join Greenpeace?

I like the way the organisation functions. It uses science and policy initiatives to demand change on issues are highlighted by Greenpeace actions/protests. Also GP actions are a way of getting other people involved in an issue, which is something necessary if the environment is to be made an issue.

What kinds of actions have you seen in India?

Perhaps the most famous action was the hot-air balloon over the Taj, protesting against nuclear explosions. Most actions in India occurred when the Rainbow Warrior was here, and they were to do with toxic wastes and the Bhopal disaster. The theme of the tour was "No more Bhopals". There were actions against "waste dumping" in Alang (Gujarat). GP members tied themselves to the anchor chain of a ship. And we dressed up as tomatoes and brinjals in Bangalore.

I was also involved in the protest at a CETP (Common Effluent Treatment Plant) demanding among other things that the Pollution Control Board recognise the ineffectiveness of this technology and that the board also increase the parameters for testing and publish the results.

What do you do aboard the ship.

Ijoined the ship as a volunteer and became a deck hand during the last two months of my stay. All deckhands/volunteers have to participate in the day-to-day maintenance of the ship and help/participate/volunteer for action. They also have to do "sea- watches" on four-hour shifts done every eight hours when the ship is at sea. The volunteer/deckhand checks for fires and loose goods, while the officer navigates the ship. Also they help the cook clean-up the kitchen.

What is a typical day like?

My day begins at seven a.m. with the person on watch waking me up. Work begins at eight and includes greasing parts, removing rust, paint. There is a 15 minute break at 10 and a lunch break between noon and one. Another break at three and work stops at five. Dinner is at six. Besides this, there are safety drills for "man-overboard", "fire" as per IMO rules.

What do people think of the ship?

I think the ship acts as an ambassador. And there was a lot of goodwill wherever we went. In every country, local fishermen in boats received the ship. There were cultural events to welcome the crew. The local press gave the ship wide media coverage.

The ship also acts as a catalyst for a campaign and is used to highlight issues through sea based actions. The most number of sea based actions happened in Japan and Hong Kong while the crew participated in land based actions in Thailand, India and the Philippines.

What is the best action you have seen so far?

One of the best actions was the "return to sender" action in Manila. The U.S. bases have a lot of toxic waste left behind by the armed forces. This waste has been slowly killing people. GP members cleaned up a site according to official norms, packed the wastes in 10,000 tonne containers, and deposited them at the gates of the U.S. Embassy. The matter has been taken up with the U.S. President.

What are your future plans?

I am interested in working on GP ships. Each ship has a spirit of its own. People from different nations come together and work for a common cause. The ship and crew, to me, are there only to internationalise issues that people (locals) have been fighting for a long time and thus build international support for the people and demand change internationally. The ship is a collective voice for protest that joins with other people. It is also a vessel of dreams - dreams of a cleaner and more egalitarian world. And there is nothing more worthwhile than working together to make a dream come true.

Well, one of Samir's dreams seems to have come true - that of joining the Rainbow Warrior. We may not be able to do what he is doing but let us also lend our support and help save the environment.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Newscan
Next     : Activity room