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Sea Strands: One Year Later |
| Sea Strands: One Year Later A month after the December 2004 Tsunami, ELLE ran a story depicting searing images of human tragedy along South India’s coastline. In this follow-up, we retraces our steps and revisit the places and faces we met earlier. And find a tidal wave of hope in the Tsunamika. By Mridu Khullar What had been the greatest media sensation a year ago, following December 2004's devastating tsunami soon fell silent. But the questions of what had happened to all the troubled faces, torn homes and broken lives we’d seen had not subsided, but were stronger than ever. We decided to go back and find out what had happened to the survivors of the tragedy that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more. And to hear the stories after the hype of the situation had died down and the emergency relief work was complete. But most importantly, to find examples of inspiration, survival, hope and rebuilding, that would prove to us that life really does go on. Everything that could have happened on this journey back to the tsunami-affected regions of South India, did—from torrential downpours and severe flooding, to dubious bus rides, wherein we narrowly made it to our destination as roads and bridges were washed away in the worst storms to hit the region in decades. Nagapattinam Finally getting off the last bus into Nagapattinam at 2:00 am, we meet someone from the NGO Adam had joined last year to document the aftermath of the tsunami disaster—SNEHA (Social Need, Education and Human Awareness). Our contact is relieved we’ve arrived safely, but cautions us that things here are not as they once were. As we walk along the deserted streets to the SNEHA office, a group of rowdy drunken fishermen spot us and block our way. They’re curious about who we are, so we let our contact do most of the talking. Fortunately, SNEHA has been working in this community for the past 20 years and everyone here knows (and appreciates) its work. This is one of the first things we see in Nagapattinam and our first inkling of the fact that all is not well here. The next day we start visiting the communities. When we left our homes in New Delhi to find out what had changed for these people in the span of one year, we expected to see quick distribution of compensation and relief, completion of permanent housing structures and people reaching closure. What we didn’t expect to find were debris-filled desolate beaches, halves of boats buried in the sand, victims still living in temporary shelters, and a sense of urgency among people who’re still holding on to the hope that help will come, sooner rather than later. But as we visit beach after beach, village after village, shelter after shelter, we feel like we’ve stepped into the past. In many of these places, time has stood still and the only visible change is that blades of grass now grow where earlier there was nothing but sand carried in by the killer waves. Villages that look like they were ravaged not a year, but a week ago, broken structures that have yet to be cleaned up and vendors standing by the roadside waiting for buyers who may never come, all serve as a reminder that while the tsunami may have become a hazy memory for the world, the reality of what happened on the morning of 26the December, 2004, is still something that people in these regions struggle to come to terms with each day. * For the complete story, please contact Mridu. |
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