Tsunami Homes

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Shivayah All,

 

When I left the ashram on May 7, the taxi driver, who spoke English, pointed out

to me all the building materials along the road. He said the ashram could not

proceed without governmental approval, which had not been forthcoming. Each

group wants to claim they are doing most for the tsunami victims. Of course,

Amma would actually get it done the fastest, given permission. That's my

opinion, but it was bolstered greatly when an engineer staying at

the ashram told me that he saw a raw building site transformed

within two weeks to 130 homes, most needing

only a roof in order to be completed. He couldn't

believe how fast they were being built!

 

In Amma's love,

Jyotsna

 

avinash ramidi <avinash7_99 wrote:

 

Five months after the tsunami hit the southern coast of India, relief work has

stalled in the southern state of Kerala after a row between Hindu and Christian

groups.

 

Right-wing Hindu groups are angry at the local administration for allowing

Christian organisations to participate in the reconstruction of homes for the

tsunami victims.

 

They allege that the church is using relief programmes as a vehicle for

converting Hindus, a charge that has been denied.

 

Driving down the state of Kerala, north of Quilon lies a thickly populated strip

of palm-fringed land called Alappad.

 

It is bound by sea on one side and Kerala's famous backwaters on the other.

 

 

Left homeless

 

Last December, tsunami waves struck Alappad leaving around 150 people dead and

destroying many houses.

 

 

Why should Church organisations be allowed to reconstruct homes in Alappad

 

Hindu leader Kummanam Rajashekhar

Most of the islanders are fishermen and many live in temporary shelters built by

the administration.

 

Unlike the temporary shelters in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the ones

in Alappad are bigger and a water tap has been provided for every two families.

 

Over 25,000 people were sheltered in relief camps after the tsunami.

 

Every family gets 1,000 rupees ($23) a month from the government and charities

also help them out.

 

Religious row

 

But a few Hindu groups are unhappy at the relief work.

 

The Hindu Aikyavedi group says it is connected to India's oldest Hindu

organisation, the RSS.

 

 

 

 

"Why should Church organisations be allowed to reconstruct homes in Alappad,"

its leader Kummanam Rajashekhar says.

 

"Christian missionaries and organisations connected with the local Church are

converting Hindus in the garb of providing tsunami relief."

 

But the local administrator, B Srinivas, rejected this charge.

 

"We have thoroughly investigated the claim and found the claim to be baseless,"

he said.

 

We have not converted any Hindu in this tsunami affected area to Christianity

 

Father Romance Anthony

Latin Catholic Church

Father Romance Anthony of the Latin Catholic Church has been involved in relief

operations.

 

He said the church and organisations connected with it had provided food and

relief material to every tsunami affected family irrespective of their religion.

 

He said the problem was created by "extremist groups" connected with the RSS.

 

"We have not converted any Hindu in this tsunami affected area to Christianity.

 

"Social service organisations do not believe in conversion".

 

Tussle over relief

 

Kerala is home to a substantial number of Christians from various denominations

who wield considerable political influence.

 

They form some 20% of the state's population.

 

Alappad is home to a Hindu religious organisation led by a spiritual leader,

Mata Amritanandmayee.

 

 

Some 25,000 people were sheltered in relief camps

Her religious centre runs several charitable and educational institutions in the

state.

 

It was one of the first to reach out to the affected people and is still

involved in providing relief material.

 

Organisations like Hindu Aikyavedi have demanded that this religious centre

should be the only organisation allowed in the reconstruction work.

 

Local police say a few weeks ago there was nearly a religious clash over the

issue of conversion.

 

The local administration decided to divide the reconstruction work among

different organizations after being inundated with requests from both religious

organisations and local charities,

 

One official said there was "clear logic" in allotting the reconstruction work

to a local church organisation in a part of the island which has a church and

110 Christian families.

 

"How could we give the entire island to Mata Amritanandmayee's centre to rebuild

overlooking requests from church organisations and local charities," said an

official in Alappad who wished to remain unnamed.

 

Uneasy peace

 

Swami Amrita Swaroopananda Puri of Mata Amritanandmayee Mutt prefers to stay out

of the controversy.

 

 

Hindu groups want control over all the camps

"We offered to rebuild all the houses in Kerala but the government decided to

distribute reconstruction work to many agencies," he says.

 

The tsunami affected families are eager to get permanent homes.

 

But they are caught among different groups and interests that want to have a

stake in the entire reconstruction process.

 

Five months of claims and allegations have muddied the blue waters of the

Lakshadweep Sea, with tensions in Alappad threatening the social harmony of

Kerala.

 

For now there is an uneasy peace between the various groups and construction

work is finally underway.

 

But it remains to be seen how long that peace will last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

!

 

 

 

 

 

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

 

 

 

Ammachi/

 

Ammachi