The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is extremely concerned about the pathetic state of relief operations carried out in India for victims of the tsunami, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondichery as well as the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The information that we have received from the two states worst hit by the tsunami in India is highly disturbing. In Pondichery, a meagre quantity of rice, only eight kilogrammes, and 12,000 rupees (US$260) for reconstruction of house are being given to each family. In Tamil Nadu, although the rice distributed is 60 kg per family, the amount paid for reconstruction is just 8,000 rupees. The AHRC is also concerned that the rice distributed near the Pondichery University is infested with worms and unfit for human consumption.
It is shocking to find that the distribution of relief is thoroughly mismanaged as there has been no coordination between the operations of the non-governmental agencies and different government organs. The assistance in some areas is overlapped whereas other affected places are being completely ignored. The AHRC is particularly concerned about reports that many remote villages are totally neglected due to caste discrimination and political allegiance. Such discrimination is absolutely inhuman and calls for international criticism.
For example, places such as Kadapakuppam and Pattipulam of the Kachipuram district in Tamil Nadu has received no relief at all in spite of the fact that 175 families in Kadapakuppam and 280 families in Pattipulam face the absolute brunt of the disaster. Despite complaints by the villagers in these two places, no government officials or NGOs have turned up to help the people now living in rubble. In Pannanthittu village of Tamil Nadu’s Chidambaram Thaluka, all the 150 families affected are not being visited or given any aid by the government or NGOs. Villagers in MGR Thattu, meanwhile, are protesting that they are being discriminated as little relief has been provided to them.
Another matter of concern is that relief camps in some other villages were shut down after about three days of running and victims there are now deserted by the government agencies.
The AHRC is also disturbed by the complete disregard of forensic procedures in handling the bodies. Although the volume of emergency work is enormous, we are concerned about reports that the clearing of debris without any proper search for human bodies under rubble, especially in the district of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. Given the fact that many who are missing are feared buried under rubble, such massive clearing operations will deny the chances for people to find the bodies of missing relatives and to receive any compensation in the future.
Moreover, it is reported that in Tamil Nadu dead bodies are handled by inexperienced people due to caste beliefs. It is particularly a matter of concern that members of the Dalit communities from Tangore and Maduri are brought in to handle the bodies. The bodies are not given any proper forensic examination.
The AHRC calls on the respective state governments and the central government to put an immediate end to this practice and take effective steps to examine human remains under the supervision and guidance of experienced doctors and forensic specialists, rather than burying the bodies at mass graveyards or cremating them without any proper records.
Another matter of concern is the disbursement of compensation for the dead. Even though the AHRC appreciates the respective governments initiatives to distribute 100,000 rupees for each dead, the money is delivered in cheques and many families of the victims are illiterate and are being exploited in such a procedure.
It is shocking to know that many survivors have already been exploited by unscrupulous individuals, who promise to help them cash the cheques but then disappear with the relief money. There are also cases that some other individuals with muscle power and political influence have made use of the opportunity to make money in the name of the deceased victims.
The AHRC calls upon the government of India to take immediate measures to curb these malpractices and give the relief money to the people affected directly and to maintain proper records for the fund disbursement.
It is disheartening to note that similar situations are reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indian government or the administrative body of the islands has yet to have a complete picture of the disaster there. Still, the authorities have denied many groups which are willing to provide relief assistance to work on the islands on the ground that the isles are a place of military importance.
The AHRC condemns this attitude of the government of India and calls upon the government to provide all necessary assistance to the victims and to facilitate the operations by concerned groups or NGOs on the islands so that the misery of the survivors is reduced.
The AHRC calls upon the central government, the state governments of Pondichery and Tamil Nadu as well as the administration in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to ensure that the quality of relief materials are good and the manner in which they are distributed is not in anyway discriminating people on the bases of caste, political and military interests.
The AHRC urges the Indian government to take appropriate actions immediately to identify the missing and deceased people and carry out clearing operations considering the possibility of human beings buried under rubble.
We ask the government to carry out proper forensic examination on the dead and make available the records for public access.
The government must also come up with effective and practical reconstruction schemes and implement them as soon as possible with public participation and good monitoring.
