Professionals in Seva

Relief work carried out by the swayamsevks in Tsunami effected areas

2005-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

The Swayamsevaks have been busy in rescue and relief activities in the aftermath of the Tsunami that hit the Indian coast on th 26th of December 2004. State-wise break-up of their activities follows.

Tamilnadu

The Tsunami caused extensive damage to many places of Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai, Pondichery, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Kanniyakumari. Tremors were initially felt around 6.30 in the morning. But around 8.45 a.m., the sea water raised upto 10 mtrs with terrific speed engulfing the huts, houses and people living in the coastal areas and also people who were walking on the coastal road, children playing nearby, fishermen both in and out of sea. Fishing boats, fishnets and catamarans were extensively damaged.

By 10.30 a.m. swayamsevaks swung into action and involved themselves in the relief work. By noon 12.30 the swayamsevaks started distributing food packets, buns, clothes, blankets, milk to the children etc. In some places, relief centres were opened and food prepared round the clock.

Immediately, nearly 800 swayamsevaks involved themselves in relief work. Around 20,000 food packets were distributed. Six medical centres were opened for giving medical assistance.

Nagapattinam district is the worst affected. Approximately 3000 lives have been lost in the district. Responding to the appeal of the District Collector more than 500 Swayamsevaks have plunged into relief work. Nearly 1000 dead bodies have been removed by Swayamsevaks .

Two ambulances with doctors, one each from Salem and Coimbatore, have been sent to Nagapattinam for the rescue and relief operations. Assistance in the form of rice, dhal, clothes, and medicines from all parts of the state is reaching the district.

One of the Villages badly affected in Kanyakumari district is Pallam. RSS Swayamsevaks are actively engaged in relief work there. This village has a predominant CSI Christian Community.

A survey is being conducted in the entire coastal belt to assess the extent of damage and the areas which need rehabilitation work.

Immediate Needs Are

1) Repairing of damaged fishing boats
2) Buying fishing nets
3) Subsidising diesel supply to the mechanized fishing boat owners
4) Supplying house-hold necessities and repair and construction of new houses

We appeal to the general public to co-operate by giving their contributions at the earliest in the name of:

Seva Bharati Tamilnadu (Earth Quake Relief A/C)
(Income Tax exempted under section 80G)
'Shakti' No.1, M.V.Naidu Street, Chetput, Chenai 600 031.
Phone No. 044 - 2836 0243, 2836 1049
e.mail: rsschennai@eth.net & vskchennai@vsnl.net.

Swaymsevaks and Swaymsevikas in action at Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu

Andhra Pradesh

Relief teams comprising the swayamsevaks of RSS swung into action in the districts of Nellore and Prakasham and engaged themselves in relief and rescue operations. An Eye Camp was scheduled to be held at Mypadu of Nellore District and doctors and other para medical staff from Jaya Bharat Hospital affiliated to Seva Bharati of Nellore were available on the spot when the calamity broke out.

The collector of the district who paid a visit to the village felt relieved on seeing them and on learing that 43 persons were rescued by the RSS swayamsevaks. Additional batches of workers also reached Mypadu ,Iskapalli and channayapalem villages taking chapatis and tamarind rice packets to be distributed to the displaced persons.

At Singaraya Konda in Prakasam Dist 2000 persons from the coastal villages have been sheltered in a camp and arrangement for food and medical aid have been with the help of local rice millers and other philantrapic individuals.

Relief activities are also underway in several other districts like Guntur, Krishna, Godavari etc.

Kerala

Kollam: Karunagappally taluk suffered major fury. Around 86 people died. But casualties are definitely going to be more. 6600 people are housed in 26 relief camps. Swayamsewaks are managing 14camps out of them. Besides they are operating six ambulances and also providing food, clothes, medicines and beddings. An estimated 800 houses have been washed away.

Alappuzha: 23 people reported to be dead. More bodies are being recovered.800 houses have been damaged. Most of them belong to poor fishermen. Relief camps are jam-packed. There are only 14 camps and around 40000 people are housed. All these camps are being run by Sewa Bharati. Sewa Bharathi has opened a relief camp in the Kayamkulam Taluk Hospital much to the relief of Govt. authorities.

Ernakulam: The RSS training camp at Nayarambalam has been converted into a relief camp. Food and medicines have been arranged for around 600 inmates. Further help is pouring in.

Tsunami relief work by Seva Bharathi, Tamilnadu

2004-12-28T03:17:00.000-08:00

28.12.2004

Chennai, Dec 28: Nagapattinam district is the worst affected in the tsunami attack on the Tamilnadu coast. Approximately 4000 lives have been lost in the district. The Vibhag Pracharak of Nagapattinam Sri. P.M. Nagaraj and Prant Seva Pramukh Sri. Parameswaran are leading the rescue and relief operations.

They remove dead bodies

More than 500 Swayamsevaks are engaged in this task. So far the administration has removed 2000 dead bodies. The Swayamsevaks have removed 805 dead bodies. Swayamsevaks from Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Ambur, Salem and Erode have also rushed to Nagapatttinam to render assistance.

RSS Ambulances rush help

Two ambulances one each from Salem and Coimbatore are used in Nagapattinam for the rescue and relief operations. Assistance in the form of rice, dhal, clothes, and medicines from all parts of the state are pouring into the district.

Daring RSS men, darling of the public

In the Kolachal area of Kanyakumari district more than 200 Swayamsevaks are engaged in the relief works. So far 96 bodies have been recovered from that place. Govt. officials contacted Seva Bharathi members and requested them to participate in the rescue and relief work.

Training the society in Seva

At Kolachal a joint effort with The Ramakrishna Mission has been undertaken to distribute vessels for cooking. A Medical camp is being organised by Dr. Srinivasa Kannan, Nagar Sangachalak , and Dr..Deiva Prakasam, District Seva Bharathi president of Nagarkoil. So far 5 such camps have been conducted.

The seven day camps of RSS are currently going on in various places in Tamilnadu. The Swayamsevaks who were at Vandavasi camp collected money for the relief work going door to door. With a view to render relief assistance at the affected areas the Swayamsevaks are conducting surveys.

One of the Villages badly affected in Kanyakumari district is Pallam. RSS Swayamsevaks are actively engaged in relief work there. This village has a predominant CSI Christian Community. They lamented that no Christian had come forward to help them.

First on spot in far-flung areas

Compared to other districts in Tamilnadu the damages suffered by Chennai city is on a lesser scale. But Media and NGOs are concentrating only on Chennai. Therefore RSS Swayamsevaks are engaged in relief work in areas like Pazhaverkadu and Kovalam near the city.

Reported deaths along Tamilnadu coast

Chennai 150
Kanchipuram 81
Tiruvallur 12
Villupuram 35
Cuddalore 410
Nagapattinam 3000
Kanyakumari 1000

A survey is being conducted in the coastal belt to assess the extent of damage and the areas which need rehabilitation work. In a statement Samyukta Prant Sangachalak Shri R.V.S. Marimuthu has indicated that resources are required for these immediate purposes

1) Repairing of damaged fishing boats
2) Buying fishing nets
3) Subsidising diesel supply to the mechanized fishing boat owners

We appeal to the general public to co-operate by

1. collecting blankets, bed-sheets, utensils, medicines etc.
2. giving their donations at the earliest

in the name of:

RSS Sanchalit Santrasta Parihar Nidhi
(Tax exempted under 80G Act)
Keshavakrupa, 74, Rangarao Road
Shankarapuram, Bangalore 560 004
Ph. 080 - 26610081

volunteering/ visiting relief activities at Nagapatnam

2005-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Namaste.

Persons interested in volunteering the relief work with Sewa Bharati can go to Nagapatnam. The can contact any of the following persons:

Sri P.M. Nagarajan 098424 14422

Sri Parameshwaran 098948 46958

or

Sri Shivarajan 098425 66315

You may give this information to any body willing to volunteer or visit the activities going on there (to have first hand information). Kindly inform Sri Dinesh Kamath at 94482 84621 before going.

Regards

JANA SANKSHEMA SAMITI - Tsunami activities till last week

2005-01-31T02:36:00.000-08:00

JANA SANKSHEMA SAMITI-VIJAYAWADA.

You know right from the very first hour of tsunami RSS plunged into service. Till today JSS&RSS distributed:

1). Nets 14167kgs worth Rs 59 lakhs.
2). No of villages served 21
3). No of families benefited 10,000
4). No of meetings held 14 places
5). No of volunteers involved 800(continuously 300).
6). family kits in 25 villages about 4000 kits worth Rs 600 each total: 24lakhs
7). Medical services: 6 medical vans for first 10 days served in 50 villages

Further requirment:-

1). Nets 15000kgs costs nearly another Rs 63 lakhs
2). For new boats&engines nearly Rs 50 lakhs
3). Community halls proposed in 10 villages nearly Rs 30 lakhs

Address: JANA SSANKSHEMA AMITI, Madhava Sadhan, Kaleswara Rao Road, Vijaywada-524 002, Andhra Pradesh, Phone # :08662435199,Cell:98490 48859 Our site address www.sevabharathi.org . and online account number Guntur swift code:- IOBAINBB088, Chennai swift code:-IOBAINBB001. Connect to A/c Jana Sankshema Samithi, SB A/c No:-13455, At IOB Governorpet Vijaawada-520 002.

Evangelism in the garb of Relief Work

2005-01-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

Evangelism in the garb of Relief Work

http://vivekajyoti.blogspot.com/

‘Dinamalar’, Chennai

The proselytizers are taking undue advantage of the predicament of the Tsunami victims in the coastal areas of south India.

In the Tamil Nadu coastal villages of Mayiladthurai and Nagapattinam, the Tsunami victims are lured by the Christian missionaries for conversion. They are luring the villagers with cash incentives and with promise to bear lifetime education expenses of their children. These missionaries are also trying to convert the villagers en mass through village resolution passed by the village president.

A coastal village called Thirumullai Vasal situated near Sirgazhi Taluk of Tamil Nadu, has 55 fishermen families. These families have lost their entire belongings in the recent Tsunami. They are now accommodated in the Government school at Thirumullai Vasal. The members of a Christian organization by name “United Bethel Trust” of Coimbatore have already met these fishermen families twice. The Trust President, an Indian, by name Andrew Augustin, belonging to the Pentecostal Mission, is presently living in the USA. After the devastation of the Tsunami, he visited the above village and promised the affected fishermen every help and assistance. He also gathered from these families all the required information about the loss of their belongings etc. and where they want the new houses to be built, and further details about them.

On Jan. 18, 05, the members of the United Bethel Trust again went to the Government Scholl at Thirumullai Vasal and collected further details about the requirements of the fishermen families accommodated there. They also conducted Gospel meetings and prayed for the welfare of these families. These families felt there was nothing wrong in receiving help from this organization.

In this way, in several coastal villages of Tamil Nadu, these missionaries are lure the villagers under the pretext of relief work and convert them to Christianity. Also, taking advantage of the delayed Government relief work for the fishermen, the members of the above Trust divide the people in the name of caste and creed, thereby creating misgivings among them, with a view to covert them.

Seva Bharathi as on Jan.20, 2005

2005-01-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

Handing over of the first phase of the temporary
shelters to the inhabitants of Keechankuppam on
20.01.05

http://sevabharathi.org/tsunami_report20jan.htm

Background:

Seva Bharathi, Tamilnadu in association with the volunteers of the RSS and associate organizations immediately entered the affected areas within hours of the Tsunami attack. In some areas the volunteers plunged into relief work even while there was a severe threat of a second Tsunami attack.

Seva Bharathi, a nationalist service organization, which had undertaken such big tasks earlier in the quake hit areas of Latur (Maharashtra), Uttarkasi (UP), Punjab and Gujarat is the Indian arm of Sewa International, an international NGO.

Relief works:

On 26 th , the day of the attack, the relief work was carried through out the night. All the deceased bodies were removed and disposed off in co-ordination with the Governmental relief team. Initially on 27 th and 28 th the concentration was mainly on identification of bodies and handing them over to their relatives. The relief activities were carried out in co-operation with the Revenue, Police and Health department officials.

More than 60 doctors, (24 from Karnataka) split into teams of 8 conducted Medical camps in all the coastal villages and the Relief Camps till 16.01.05. Medical service was also rendered to the non Tsunami affected area to prevent out-break of epidemics. Since then, a permanent medical centre has started functioning from Neela South Street, mainly for treating the Tsunami affected people though other patients are also entertained.

The following is the details of the relief work carried out in various villages

Sl. No Description No of Villages

1. Affected villages 73

2. Gathering Information 63

3. Disposal of Dead Bodies 27 (1798 bodies)

4. Medical Aid 58 (15,000 beneficiaries)

5. Distribution of Food 33

6. House hold items distribution 73

7. Counseling 20

8. Atma Shanthi Prayer / Shrartham 66

9. Entertainment for children 29
(story telling, games)

List of food and other materials distributed in the
Nagapattinam District as on 20.01.2005

Sl. No Items Quantity

1. Rice 903 tonnes

2. Dhal 6500 kgs

3. Vegetables 16,000 kgs

4. Milk powder 1,800 kgs

5. Bread & Biscuit 2.17 lakhs packets

6. Drinking water (Mineral water) 3.65 lakhs packets of 250 ml

7. Dress material 1.4 lakhs pieces

8. Bed sheets 9,600 pieces

9. Mats 18,000 pieces

10. Cooking Stove 3,400 pieces

11. Cooking utensils 7,300 pieces

Total value of the materials distribute (including medicines): Rs.2,61,33,000 (Rs.2.61 crores)

The relief materials were collected by our volunteers from various parts of India and sent them to the base camp at Nagapattinam. The medicines were supplied mainly from the states of Rajasthan and Karnataka.

Seva Bharathi has installed a mineral water plant in Nagapattinam to provide safe drinking water for the city . This plant is supplying 20,000 litres of pure drinking water free of cost to the affected people everyday. However, people from all walks of life including the police, the army, fire service men, and electricity board employees took water from this plant.

Trained woman volunteers visited all the affected villages and provided trauma herapy and counseling services. On the 16 th day, poojas and rituals were performed for the deceased and around 1200 women volunteers from the districts of Trichy, Thanjavur, and Thiruvarur participated in the function.

Rehabilitation Activities:

We are constructing 1200 houses for providing temporary shelter to the inhabitants of Keechankuppam village, the worst affected village in the state.

A comprehensive study was conducted to ascertain the volume of damage in the villages and to understand the requirements of the people for bringing them back to
normalcy.

More than 2000 volunteers including 300 women, Doctors, Engineers, Advocates, Auditors took part in the relief and rehabilitation activities. The relief and rehabilitation activities were carried out through the services of our volunteers who averaged 200 on any single day.

All the activities of Seva Bharathi were done with full cooperation of the Government authorities.

No need for photos or TV shots - S. Gurumurthy

2005-01-26T23:03:00.000-08:00

No need for photos or TV shots
Wednesday January 26 2005 07:48 IST
S Gurumurthy

NGOs here and NGOs in the West operate in two different worlds. But here too they seek the same space as their counterparts in the West. Let us see the difference. The NGOs evolved in the West as substitutes for neighbourhood communities that have almost vanished in the atomised and impersonal West. But many NGOs from the West operate globally. They are no simple instruments of service when they set foot on the Rest. They constitute the cultural and political thrust of the West on the Rest.

See a current example. Invited by the tsunami disaster, an NGO team from the US landed in Chennai a couple of weeks ago. How? By an exclusive Boeing 747 plane claimed to be one of the two of its kind. The other being the US President’s! This NGO looks for ’sinners’ belonging to other religions to ‘harvest’ them for its religion. It came here with celebrities, a world champion in boxing and a Miss World runner-up, so that it is not lost in the overcrowded NGO bazaar. The team drove to Thazhangudam, a tsunami-affected village in Tamil Nadu. It declared a charity of Rs 4,000 crores for the 10 affected countries over the next 45 days. ‘Others make empty promises,’ it mocked. Its mission: adoption of children orphaned by tsunami. Obviously, it did not know that parents and not children have been orphaned by tsunami, which has killed children more than the old.

It felt sad that the ‘‘TN Chief Minister did not come to receive them.’’ ‘‘A Chandrababu Naidu would have done that,’’ it moaned. NGOs like this, backed by huge global funds, are ever in search of disasters. In the West everything is organised, including their religion. So are their NGOs. Excelling even corporates in PR they build brands. Similar, but smaller, versions of such NGOs have been imported into India in the last few decades. In normal times they monopolise the metro pages of newspapers and occupy their front pages in times of disaster. The have offices in metros. Led by modern, articulate, sometimes media-space seeking socialites, they are adept in publicity. Liaise with governments and officials. Monopolise all visible spaces. So they access high value cheques from the rich and aid from the state. This is how the western NGO model has created a perception that all non-government activity is ‘NGO’ work.

These NGOs mask the work of neighbourhood communities, the real social safety net in India, from visibility. The neighbour community is part of Indian life and tradition. It is organic. Not organised to attract attention. This organic quality naturally, and informally, manifests in a crisis. It has no PR, no face or brand. They quarrel like families, but they also unite in a crisis. Their quarrels are highlighted to brand them as too antiquated for modernity. But they unite, which happens whenever they have to handle a crisis, to work together based on the very relations which makes them quarrel, but that is never highlighted.

See an example of its auto response to emergencies. A whole village turned up to save hundreds caught in a train smash at Khanna in Punjab, fed thousands for days who came in search of their kin and safeguarded all the properties of the accident victims and handed over all their jewellery and cash to the local collector. This is organic society spontaneously responding. NGOs are needed to link unconnected individuals, not organic societies. This made news thanks to some enterprising media men. Otherwise, it would have gone totally unnoticed like all organic responses.

Even the ongoing tsunami relief work is mostly managed by volunteers mobilised from local and neighbourhood communities. Most organisations act more as catalysts through their local work and volunteers. The story is the same whether it is in Port Blair and elsewhere in the Andamans, or Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, or in Kollam or in Alapuzha in Kerala. In the Andamans, 110 relief camps with over 21,000 victims are mainly managed by neighbourhood communities and initiatives. The local RSS and affiliates, some Marwari Yuva Manch, Dweep Youth Club and other local communities, and some local Christian missionary groups are the catalysts to neighbourhood mobilisation. Many communities have thrown open their schools and marriage halls for the victims and provided food instantly. It is mostly local and neighbourhood manpower mobilised by local leadership, supplemented by distant supply line help.

The same is the case in Kerala. Out of 26 relief camps in Kollam, the Seva Bharati, an RSS outfit, maintains 14, mostly through local RSS workers. In Alapuzha, all 14 relief camps housing 40,000 affected, is maintained by Seva Bharati again with the RSS workers mobilised from neighbourhood. In Tamil Nadu, Seva Bharati has its presence in 168 out of the 258 affected villages in the coast line again mobilising local RSS and associate manpower. They have buried or cremated some 2,500 decomposed bodies, more than a fourth of the dead. The RSS in Tamil Nadu has mobilised over 2,000 volunteers mostly from neighbourhood. They run 15 main relief centres assisted by 50 satellite centres maintaining the supply line.

Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Art of Living Foundation headed by Sri Sri Ravishankar and Isha Foundation headed by Satguru Jaggi Vasudev could mobilise thousands volunteers from neighbourhood for relief work. So did the AIM for Seva founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi and Ramakrishna Mission whose relief work too was manned by a huge volunteer force from neighbourhood. Many local community outfits, caste organisations, local churches, mosques have motivated and mobilised thousands of volunteers for relief work. So it is the local and neighbourhood initiative that rose to the occasion, with distant help supplementing.

But these initiatives are off the TV screen and outside the lenses of the cameramen of the media. Unlike ‘NGOs’ the media is familiar with, they are not organised. None of them have spokesmen or media attache to highlight their work. With the result the amorphous ‘NGOs’ grab all credit as the media keeps repeating ‘NGOs are doing excellent work’. It is the organised, globally funded, metro-based, PR branded NGOs, operating from star hotels and air-conditioned offices and driving around in slick cars whose interviews, TV bites, photos are visible.

The volunteers from neighbourhood work and disperse after the relief is provided. They are not invited or motivated by photos or TV shots. Nor do they know how to handle the media or publicise their work. But the NGOs need photos and TV shots to publicise their work, to raise funds and increase their turnover. They need disasters to build their brands. In the process the real work of the unorganised local social network is masked by the media bias in favour of organised and publicity savvy NGOs. The central government made us proud by saying ’no’ to foreign doles for the tsunami disaster. Why not say ’no’ at least to foreign NGOs and their affiliates here who have global design?

Writer’s email: comment@gurumurthy.net

TSUNAMI REHABILITATION INITIATIVE (TRI)

2005-01-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

TSUNAMI REHABILITATION INITIATIVE (TRI)

No C-8, Vasanth Apartments, No 40, CPR Road,

Alwarpet Chennai – 18

Ph: 044-30909535 email – info@triindia.org

A body to coordinate and network the important social service organisations [NGOs] engaged in Tsunami disaster relief and rehabilitation work has been formed at Chennai. The coordinating body has been named as Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiative [TRI]. The decision to form TRI was taken at a meeting held in Chennai on Saturday, January 8, 2005 in which Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, Swami Gautamananda, and Satguru Jaggi Vasudev guided the deliberations.

The leading NGOs who have become the first members of the coordinating body are: Sri Ramakrishna Mission, AIM for Seva, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Chinmaya Mission, Art of Living Foundation, ISKCON, Isha Foundation, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Seva Bharati and Vivekananda Kendra. The coordinating body will have as patrons Swami Gautamananda, President, Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi of Arsha Vidhya Gurukulam, Mata Amritanandamayi, the head of the Amritanandamayi Math, Satguru Jaggi Vasudev, the head of Isha Foundation and Sri Sri Ravishankar the head of Art of Living foundation. More than 10,000 volunteers of the member organizations, many of them qualified doctors, psychiatrists, trauma therapists and other specialists, are involved in the relief and rehabilitation work in all the affected places in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman and Sri Lanka.

The purpose of this co-ordinating and networking effort is to ensure proper distribution and co-ordination of the delivery of rehabilitation work among different NGOs which have become the first members and such other organizations as would net work with the TRI in future. TRI will contact different NGOs, which have no sectarian or sectional motive or extra territorial interests, for networking with them. TRI will also integrate the work of the different service organizations so that the collective and coordinated work of all the service organizations ensures most effective and unduplicated delivery of the rehabilitation work. By networking and coordinating the different NGOs, it will be possible to use their resources to the optimum level and partly unburden the government, the tough task of coordinating the voluntary work.

TRI will interface with the government and also the media so as to expedite the rehabilitation work. TRI believes that this kind of coordination among the NGOs will also assist the authorities in ensuring proper planning and expedite the delivery of rehabilitation work. The rehabilitation work planned for the future will also include trauma relief, psychiatric care and other counseling work, besides housing and provision of fishing infrastructure. TRI will persuade the different NGOs to adopt all affected villages and assist the authorities in choosing the most genuine NGOs as agencies for delivery of the rehabilitation. The office of TRI will issue periodic reports on the work done by the member organizations and other organizations which network with TRI for the information of the public.

The TRI appeals to all NGOs and other service organizations engaged in Tsunami Rehabilitation work to network with TRI so that the collective and integrated position of the NGOs through TRI leads to efficient and expedited rehabilitation services.

TRI is functioning from 10/01/2005 and its telephone No. is 044-30909535 and E-mail Id is info@triindia.org

For further details Contact:

P.S.Manikandan

Coordinator

Mobile: 94433-65731

Phone: 044-2836 1049, 2836 0243

Email: manidevakar@yahoo.com

Conversion attempts in the time of grief

2005-01-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/24shoba.htm

Shobha Warrier in Nagapattinam | January 24, 2005 15:45 IST
Last Updated: January 24, 2005 16:17 IST

When I entered one of the rows of temporary shelters built for tsunami victims in Pattancherry village in Nagapattinam, I witnessed a minor scuffle in a corner.

Some inmates had surrounded a Christian priest and two nuns, and a war of words was going on.

"We are Hindus and we want to live as Hindus. Why do you want to convert us?" some young men shouted at the missionaries.

The priest said, "We are not here to convert people. We were only offering prayers for your peace of mind."

But flashing some pamphlets distributed among them by the three, the inmates snorted, "What does this mean?"

The priest had no answer.

"Why do you enter our houses and pray?," they asked. "Your nuns do this when our women are alone at home. We know how to pray."

The young men were extremely furious. The priest was unruffled. But the nuns were shaken by the sudden surge of animosity from the muscular men.

The scuffle went on till the three were forced to leave the place.

Day two:

As I was visiting the areas close to the sea that were badly affected by the tsunami waves, I saw another angry scene outside another temple in another village.

Police jeeps were seen parked outside the temple in Samandapettai. So was a van.

Villagers were complaining to the police about a missionary group to which the van belonged.

They said the group had taken away to another place their belongings and the relief they had got from nongovernmental organisations and the government, which they had kept inside the temple, because they refused to listen to its missionaries.

"They want to try their luck at some other place. Since we resisted, they took away our things. We won't allow this to happen," they said. "Why don't you arrest all of them?" the villagers asked the police.

The villagers' torrent of angry words continued. "We have lost everything to the sea. They said they would help us if we followed their religion. What logic is this? Are they here to help us or change our religion?" The police couldn't cool their tempers.

The group said it did not take away the belongings of the villagers and insisted that the contents inside the van belonged to it.

That evening, some villagers came with the news that the police had arrested the priest they had confronted the previous day. Apparently some angry villagers had gheraoed him, and forced the police to arrest him.

"He shouldn't be doing this when we are grieving, when we are suffering. Everything has its time and place," a villager said.

When I wanted to talk to the panchayat president and locals of the Karakkalmedu village at Karaikkal, they called me inside the village temple. That was where they met outsiders. The temple has become the centre of activity in the village.

Before we started talking, one of them opened the door to the sanctum sanctorum and pointed to a mark left by the strong tsunami waves. They told me that water stopped at the feet of their deity and then receded. "We might have suffered, but our Goddess saved us."

This belief had taken the villagers all the more closer to their deity.

"That is why it hurts us when others come and tell us that it was because of our God and our belief that we suffered. We won't let anyone exploit us when we are down," the panchayat members asserted.

Relief and rehabilitation activities of Seva Bharathi

2005-01-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

Estimated cost of the rehabiliation work to be under taken by Seva Bharathi in Tsunami hit villages.

Particular; No of Units; Cost / Unit Rs; Total Rs

Construction of Temporary Houses; 3,250.00; 12,000.00; 39,000,000.00
Fishing nets and accessories; 3,000.00; 3,000.00; 9,000,000.00
New Boats; 300.00; 100,000.00; 30,000,000.00
Repair Charge; 1,000.00; 15,000.00; 15,000,000.00
Miscellaneous expenses; 7,000,000.00
Total; 100,000,000.00

Price List of Fishing Nets;

Area; Quantity; Price / Set Rs;
Cuddalore 0.20 - 38 - 150; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,135.00
Pulicat 0.20 - 34 - 150; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,285.00
Mahabalipuram 0.20 - 34 - 150; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,285.00
Nagai/ Tharangambadi 0.2 - 38 - 200; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,135.00
Chidambaram 0.20 - 38 - 200; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,135.00
Pondicherry 0.20 - 38 -150; 15 Kg net + accessories; 9,135.00

Total Villages affected: 258

Total Familes affected: 1Lakh (approx)

Brochures of Sevabharathi: Details can be had from www.sevabharathitn.org

80 G Tax exemption: DIT (E) No. 2 (345) 99-00

Shop detail:
Chidambaram Fishnets Pvt Ltd.,
New No: 12, Old No: 2 Bharathi nagar Second Street,
T Nagar,
Chennai - 17
Ph: 91-44-2834 1170, 71, 72
Fax: 91-44-2834 1173
Email: cfn@eth.net

Tsunami relief activities:

http://www.sevabharathi.org/tsunami_presentation.htm

Rastriya Swayamsevaka Sangha, A.P.

Productive Servieces picked up speed by RSS and JSS (15th January and
16th January report) :-

1) Sri Swamy Venkatesh ji Maharaj of Madanapalli and RSS distributed
a family kit of Rs.1,000 each were distributed to 260 families
in Patha Pattapu Palem of Koduru Mandalam. Avula Tirupati of MSS and
Sri Ramadandu RSS participated. Total worth Rs.2,60,000/-.

16th January :-

1) In Krishna puram Village of Indukuru Pet Mandalam of Nellore
District for 450 Fisher man, fishing nets of Rs.1,000/- (2Kg) were
distributed by Yogada Satsangsangha of Ranchi and JSS Sri Swamy
Krishnananda giri ji, Sri Balakrishna Reddy ji, Sri Koduru Jayaram
President participated. Total worth Rs.4,50,000/-.

2) In Venkateswara Palem T.P.Gudur Mandalam for 150 Fisher man, 5Kg's
of net cost Rs.1,500/- were distributed to 110 Fisher man. Total
worth Rs.16,500/-. Apart from nets family kit of Rs.500/- were also
distributed. Total worth Rs.75,000/-.

3) In Nelaturu Palem, Muthukuru Mandalam a family kit containing 17
House hold items of costs Rs.1,000/- each were distributed to 360
families. Total worth Rs.3,60,000/- with Tera Pantha Sampradaya,
Hyderabad and JSS.

4) In Arakonda Palem Village for 40 families family kit of Rs.1,000/-
each were distributed by JSS & RSS. Total worth Rs.40,000/-.

Donate one net (Rs.10,000/-) help
one family

Address: JANA SANKSHEMA SAMITI, Madhava Sadhan, Kaleswara Rao Road,
Vijaywada-524 002, Andhra Pradesh, Phone # :08662435199,Cell:98490
48859 Our site address www.sevabharathi.org. and online account
number Guntur swift code:- IOBAINBB088, Chennai swift code:-
IOBAINBB001. Connect to A/c Jana Sankshema Samithi, SB A/c No:-13455,
At IOB Governorpet Vijaawada-520 002.

politics of aid by AID - supporting communist party

2005-01-11T03:35:00.000-08:00

From: "Prahalad Appaji"
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2005 18:18:19 +0000
Subject: MUST READ - politics of aid by AID - supporting communist party

Friends,

Out of ignorance, I think I have made a mistake supporting AID's efforts ( AID is Association for India's Development ) in Tsunami relief. Few years ago AID was embroiled in controversy when one of it's leaders Sandeep Pandey attended a Naxalites conference ( yes, the same movement which is slaughtering 10s all over India ) and encouraged that COMMUNIST parties should strengthen. When the world is moving towards democracies this is insane. Unfortunately he is linked to ASHA too. Yes, more about him @ http://geocities.com/enemiesofbharat/sandeeppandey.html

The core issue NOW is this: One Balaji Sampath, the relief coordinator in Chennai is diverting funds to DYFI and SFI. Both are communist outfits. DYFI is the youth wing of CPI ( Communist Party of India ). Here's the link for all the proof : http://www.geocities.com/aid_india_info/AID_DOC.html. When this AID-DYFI link was found out AID website removed all references to DYFI, now you won't find it's mention from the daily dispatches coming from Tamil Nadu. Read that story below - a chameleon behavior indeed!!!

I never contributed to ASHA and henceforth will desist from contributing to AID too. I do not want to fund either Naxalism or Communism or vested interests sympathetic to Pakistan - even indirectly after knowing these.

More about this:

Removing the Communist link
There has been mention in Sulekha Newshopper that AID India is a charity that uses DYFI for its work. DYFI is the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). To look for this, I scanned the AID India website and there was no mention of DYFI anywhere. So for example if you look at the despatch from Chennai you get to read

After the initial shock and chaos, we are now quite well organized to handle the relief efforts. A number of organizations have started working together to handle the relief work - AID, TNSF, Pondicherry Science Forum, Vidyarambam, Pratham and the PHM Organizations. We have formed a quick informal coalition to coordinate this work. As of now the state level coordination is being done from the AID-India office in Gopalapuram Chennai. [Update from Chennai-III]

But then if you look at the cached page from Google, you see that the word DYFI was taken out from the same paragraph.

After the initial shock and chaos, we are now quite well organized to handle the relief efforts. A number of organizations have started working together to handle the relief work - AID, TNSF, Pondicherry Science Forum, DYFI, Vidyarambam, Pratham and the PHM Organizations. We have formed a quick informal coalition to coordinate this work. As of now the state level coordination is being done from the AID-India office in Gopalapuram Chennai.[ Update from Chennai-III (cached version)]

The same editing is seen in the Update from Chennai and its cached version.

Why is AID India removing this DYFI word from all its documents ? Is it because they are no longer working with them or are they trying to remove the Communist link or are they supressing information ? Can anyone from AID India answer ?

From various reports I have been reading they seem to be doing excellent job on the ground and seem to have very little overhead.

Update:

AID India, an organisation I can’t praise highly enough for their unflagging relief work in the state, have taken a pragmatic approach, tying up with anyone who shares their vision and work ethic. They have adopted two villages in this area, Pudupettai and Pudukubbam, in association with DYFI and another group called SFI – Students Federation of India. One of their coordinators, Muthu Kumar, showed me a document all the team leaders have been given, the text of an email from their leader in Tamil Nadu, Balaji Sampath.[Despatches 19: The three levels of public aid]

Both DYFI and SFI are Communist organizations. ( source: http://www.varnam.org/blog/archives/2005/01/removing_the_co.html )

Professionals in Seva Workshop

2004-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Half a day workshop on Seva (service/welfare) activities in and around Bangalore.

Dec.11, 2004

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan
Miller's Road
Bangalore

Relief work in Andhrapradesh

2005-01-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

The government distributed 25Kg of rice to the victims. RSS and JSS supplied other domestic items like pulses, sugar, vegetables, tamarind, match boxes & candles a kit (of worth Rs 200/-) to the villagers(around 3000 families).

For rehabilitation,

Donate generously. Act immediately.

One fishing net - Three persons- costs Rs 10,000/-.(approx)
One wooden boat - Six persons-costs Rs 30,000/-.
One fibre boat - Seven persons-costs Rs 70,000/-.
One diesel engine - for One boat-cost Rs 25,000/-.
EDUCATION –academic year 2004-05.
Clothing –three pairs-one student Rs 350/-.
Examination fees, note books, etc-Rs 500/-.

Our site address www.sevabharathi.org. and online account number
Guntur swift code:- IOBAINBB088.
Chennai swift code:-IOBAINBB001.

Connect to A/c Jana Sankshema Samithi (JSS)
SB A/c No:- 13455
At IOB Governorpet
Vijayawada-520002

Opinion of a CPI leader about RSS work

2005-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

CPI calls for Centre-State joint operation

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20050101232658&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=%2D367&

Sunday January 2 2005 09:48 IST

CHENNAI: The CPI said on Saturday that the Centre and the State governments should join hands to undertake relief and rehabilitation work in the tsunami-hit regions in the state.

To ensure that relief actually went to the needy, panel comprising local body members like panchayat heads, local party men and NGOs should oversee distribution of relief material, CPI Tamil Nadu unit state secretary R Nallakannu told reporters here.

Also the coastal area regulations should be strictly enforced so that there were no houses close to the sea, he said, adding that all people, particularly those living in coastal areas, should be given training to tackle such situations.

Nallakannu said he and his party leaders went to various affected areas to offer help and could find volunteers of NGOs, trade unions, and even bodies like the RSS were in the forefront in helping people, but officials were not seen in most affected places

RSS in Action during natural calamities

2005-01-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

Namaste

http://rajkot.com/earthquake/rssinaction.htm ( RSS in action – Bhuj)

http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/pipermail/assam/2003-November/003649.html ( MV Kamath in Free Press Journal)

http://www.hvk.org/articles/0201/186.html ( Seshadri Chari’s article)

http://www.hvk.org/articles/0201/3.html ( Chris Tomlinson, Associated press)

http://www.hssworld.org/seva/Gujarat/sewa_report.html ( Report on Gujarat Quake, Sewa International UK)

http://www.sewainternational.org/stvg.html ( Sewa International team visited Gujarat)

http://www.hvk.org/hvk/articles/1296/0047.html ( Andhra flood relief)

Regards

Relief work by RSS in news

2004-12-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200412291825.htm
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/29tn3.htm
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=112025

[A]
Tsunami toll in TN, Pondy touches 7,000

December 29, 2004 16:42 IST

The tsunamis that lashed the eastern and southern coastal areas of the country on Sunday have so far left about 7,000 dead in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
The toll is expected to rise.

Tsunami death toll in Asia touches 60,000. In Nagapattinam, the worst affected district, 4,900 bodies 2,400 in Nagapattinam town, 1,500 in Velankanni and 1,000 in other places - have been buried so far, Thanjavur Red Cross District Secretary
Raj Manohar told PTI. In Cuddalore, 500 deaths were reported, while at Kalpakkam the toll was put at 100. In Pondicherry, 500, including 400 at Karaikal, were said to be dead.

Who will distribute the aid pouring in? Kanyakumari accounted for 800 deaths, while in Chennai the tsunamis claimed 200 lives. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu administration on Wednesday stepped up efforts to prevent outbreak of epidemic and speed up rehabilitation work In Nagapattinam, the Red Cross and health department authorities have started inoculating people as a preventive measure.

Aussie cricketers donate prize money Over 500 have been admitted to 3 government hospitals in the district, a report said. Medical teams are working round-the-clock to provide relief in the affected areas. The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel are also lending a helping hand.

Reports from Kanyakumari, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam said volunteers belonging to various organisations, including the Red Cross and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh, were helping the administration in relief and rescue work.

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/29tn3.htm

[B]RSS swayamsevaks running relief camps; a team of 14 doctors, 20 truckloads of relief materials sent from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

New Delhi, Dec. 29 (PTI): The RSS has sought reports from its units in the southern States where tsunami had killed thousands of people and hit the lives of fishermen, so that it could further streamline the ongoing relief activities being carried on by its swayam sevaks.

"We have asked for reports from the all the affected States including our unit in Andaman and Nicobar so that we can further streamline our relief and rehabilitation measures in these areas," RSS spokesman Ram Madhav, told reporters here today.

"As it is difficult for one organisation to handle the entire relief operations, the Sangh, therefore, decided to carry out relief activities in the affected areas. We are also taking steps to provide assistance to the fishermen who have lost their boats and thus, the very source of their livelihood," he said.

The RSS plans to make Chennai its headquarters and from there extend help to all the affected persons, including those in Andaman and Nicobar islands, he said.

Madhav said 20 truckloads of relief material has been sent from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu as also a team of 14 doctors while in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, swayam sevaks were running relief camps. He appealed to the people to contribute towards the
relief fund launched by Seva Bharathi Tamil Nadu.

[c]http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200412291825.htm

Clothes, food, money: BJP, RSS set out on collection drive THE BJP and RSS in Gujarat on Tuesday announced elaborate plans to gather from every corner of the state relief material and funds for the tsunami-hit victims of south India.

In separate news conferences, both organisations refrained from criticising the UPA government in its response to the calamity and the ongoing relief work carried out by it. Both RSS Gujarat sangh-chalak Amritbhai Kadiwala and BJP State president
Rajendrasinh Rana said the relief operations by the Central government were ''going fine''.

Kadiwala said over 2,000 RSS workers from south India were engaged in relief operations in affected areas in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Nicobar islands. ''We in Gujarat have started collection of clothes, food material and money for the relief work. Swayamsevaks across Gujarat have started collecting aid from citizens,''
he said.

RSS-affiliated Seva Samiti Trust leader Vallabhbhai Saholia has donated Rs 50,000 for relief work, said Kadiwala. He said swayamsevaks in all 1,200 shakhas in Gujarat would be visiting main squares in all major cities and towns of the state to collect relief material.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=112025