People's Tribunal On Tsunami Slams the Government For
Apathy and Indifference, Calls for more transparency

"If the Kerala Government had utilized at least half
of the 300 crore rupees Tsunami funds it has, the
lives and livelihoods of the survivors could be
rebuilt by now" said Dr NA Karim (Former Vice
Chancellor Kerala University) while inaugurating the
`People's Tribunal on post tsunami challenges and
responses'. He was echoing the sentiments of over 250
tsunami survivors from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
Pondicherry who had assembled in Trivandrum for the
two-day People's Tribunal. Many of the survivors
testified before the Tribunal.

"Temporary shelters are like furnaces where people are
roasted alive. The toilets in the camps are not
useable. The toilets got blocked within a week, said
Thamara from Azheekal, Alappad panchayat. She was
highlighting the deplorable plight of women and
children in relief camps while testifying before the
Tribunal. " Privacy is the biggest concern for women
in relief camps. Women are facing terrible
inconvenience, Thamara added. Over 183 people died in
and around Azheekal.

The tribunal had eminent Jurists with none other than
Justice Hosbet Suresh ( Former Judge of Mumbai High
Court) heading the panel. Justice D.Sreedevi (Former
Judge of the Kerala High Court), Dr. Mohini Giri
(Former Chairperson, National Women's Commission) and
Dr.Gopal Guru, (Professor in JNU) were the other
members of the Jury. The panel also had prominent
experts from various disciplines like from human
rights, environment, women's rights, health, disaster
management, civil engineering etc.

The tribunal comes in the context of the slow and
tardy rehabilitation efforts that has been the
hallmark of the last five months since the tsunami hit
India and other South East Asian Countries. Globally,
the Indian Ocean Tsunami on December 26th last year
resulted in over 300,000 deaths and devastated
millions of people, mainly poor and marginalized
people living in the coastal areas.

Despite huge gestures of financial commitments from
various sources, the relief in not reaching the needy
survivors.

The hearing was the culmination of series of visits
by the jury and panelists to the tsunami devastated
areas in the southern coast of India to get a first
hand and direct knowledge of the ground realities.

The Tribunal heard depositions on key issues
concerning right to relief, livelihood, health and
sanitation, care for women and children, education,
issues of discrimination (related to caste and
communities), housing (shelter), environment and
marine ecology, human rights and disaster
preparedness.

"My son died in the tsunami and the government is yet
to register his death. I and my two children (both
girls) are being threatened by the house owner as we
are unable to pay the rent", said Sheela (48 yrs) from
Royapuram in Tamil Nadu. This is injustice, " she said
while she broke down in front of the tribunal.

Mr.John, a fisherman from Kulachal, Kanyakumari
district was crippled by the Tsunami. He testified how
he was shuttled from Pillar to Post for Compensation
for injuries he sustained. He said that there were
more than a thousand people in his village who were
not given disability certificate by virtue of which
compensation is denied by the authorities.

The Jury of the tribunal heard presentations from the
expert panel on a host of issues the following day.
The tribunal is expected to galvanise public opinion
and thus exert pressure on the governments and other
actors who are involved in post tsunami rehabilitation
and reconstruction.

With the threat of the ensuing monsoon, relief camps
pose huge challenge. If not attended properly, these
camps could be centre of health crisis, with serious
epidemics likely to break down.