Tamil Nadu

`Relief yet to reach the needy'

By N. Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI, JAN. 2. They started running when tsunami lashed and a week later, for many children and adults at Srinivasapuram, the sprint has become a daily routine.

If the black Sunday which wreaked havoc on thousands of families living near the Foreshore Estate here made them flee for their lives, today they run after almost every car or van that turns left from the Santhome High Road.

The reason: Many of these vehicles carry relief materials, including cooked food, foodgrains and clothes. While most of the vehicles belong to voluntary organisations, the rest, including some two-wheelers, drive in individuals who contribute their might, be it toffees or biscuits for the children or towel and clothes for the adults.

Since such donors turn up suddenly, the victims hover around the entrance from Santhome High Road to be the first to receive. "The relief materials, particularly food, are not reaching the interior areas where hundreds of families reside," said Haidarbibi, a mother of three, whose husband is a labourer. Concurring with her, Damodaran, a carpenter, left homeless, said: "Many outsiders have come here."

It is time the State Government and voluntary organisations think in terms of rehabilitating the victims, especially provide them employment opportunities. Another complaint echoing at Srinivasapuram is the alleged irregularities in issue of tokens that help access the aid from the State Government. Many of us have been left out, a group of people said on Saturday, even while peering into a van of the Art of Living Foundation, a non-government organisation, to find out what it brought.

Haidarbibi said families like hers who stayed in huts, which were damaged, on rent were not getting the full monetary assistance, as the owners took a substantial part of it. According to A. Muninathan, a retired Metrowater employee, staying in the Tamil Nadu Housing Board tenements, tenants occupied many of the huts.

It was in this atmosphere of confusion and frayed tempers that the Art of Living volunteers were not only providing relief materials, but also conducted courses for the affected people that would help them maintain their composure.

"They bring solace to the mindset ... help them in accepting life," said Sadyojatha, a senior faculty of the Art of Living. Noting that the foundation was working in the area for six months, he said the volunteers were working in all tsunami affected areas, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and reached relief materials. The foundation proposes to open orphanages for the children, who lost their parents and homes for destitutes.

Noting that ``His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who was in Germany would be cutting short the trip and coming back to tour the affected areas,'' he said among the volunteers was a group of five software engineers from Bangalore, heading for Cuddalore.

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