Democratic Fishing Communities Participate in RebuildingKuppuraj stands tall amid the sprawl of temporary shelters that house the survivors of last December’s tsunami. He speaks with the quiet authority of a chosen leader whose writ runs large in the fishing hamlet of Devanampattinam along India’s eastern coast which bore the brunt of the disaster.
“After the tsunami, the boats could only be replaced in stages,” says Kuppuraj. “So we decided that no one would set out to fish in the open seas until every fisherman in our midst could do so,” he declares, confident of the strong ties that bind his sturdy people.
Arising perhaps from the constant presence of danger in lives dependent on an unpredictable ocean, these unshakeable bonds have held the community together and helped shattered survivors to rebuild with a rare resilience.
Involving a Closed and Aloof Community
The tsunami brought India’s fishing community in close touch with the outside world for the first time. With lives more entwined to the tides and seasons, the fisher folk have always lived apart, abiding by age-old norms, following the dictates of their leaders, and settling their own disputes.
“Even the police seldom ventured into their hamlets,” explains S Shanmugam, the government official deputed to assist with relief and rehabilitation in Cuddalore district, where Devanampattinam lies. “And although this was our first close contact with the community, it was important for us to involve them in rebuilding from the very start.”
Transparency and Consultation
The scale of the disaster was huge. Most survivors had lost everything – homes, boats, nets, and engines. In Tamil Nadu alone, almost 40,000 boats, an equal number of fishing nets, and some 3,000 outboard motors were either mangled beyond recognition or destroyed altogether.
Making accurate assessments of damages to prevent resentments from welling up and compensating the fishermen across hundreds of tiny communities was not easy. It was made all the more difficult as most fisher folk did not own the land they had built on, the boats were often not registered, and it was almost impossible to verify the loss of expensive fishing nets.
“This was where our long and detailed consultations with each community really helped,” explains Shanmugam, recalling the painstaking hours the officials spent in each tiny hamlet. Village-level monitoring committees were formed and panchayat members accompanied officials when they surveyed the damages.
“We urged them to resume fishing," adds Shanmugam. "Lists of those eligible for boats, nets, and housing were prepared and posted on village walls. People carried around copies of these lists. They were free to object to any of the provisions, and indeed many did.” Grievances were recorded and tracked through a computerized system. The process has tried to leave as little room for dispute as possible.
While the fiercely democratic traditions of the fisher folk helped to ensure that people’s voices were adequately heard, the muscle of hard bargaining that accompanies the democratic process brought its share of challenges.
Recalling the persistence with which they carried out the consultation, he adds: “The fishermen are known to throw out panchayats – elected village councils – for failing to deliver. In one village, three panchayats were dismissed in the course of a year. Each time we had to start the consultations afresh."
Springing Back to Life
The untiring efforts of the administration, communities and NGOs in the face of such insurmountable odds have begun to pay off. Boats, nets, and engines that were destroyed have been replaced with better ones. Fishing has largely resumed along the devastated coast, and village livelihoods are springing back to life. New fish landing centers and harbors with upgraded facilities are well under construction.
The design of the new houses being built well away from the high tide line stands as as testimony to the close involvement of local women. By the middle of next year, most of those who lost their homes will have moved into modern new housing.
The design of these houses stands testimony to the close involvement of the local women. Flat roofs have replaced the old thatch to dry fish easily or build another storey if need be; prayer rooms have been added on request, and no two communities will have similar homes. In a bold move to improve the status of women, these new properties will be registered in their names jointly with their husbands.
The People's Wishes Were Paramount
The wishes of the communities have been treated as paramount while rebuilding. The design of the new houses being built well away from the high tide line stands testimony to the close involvement of the local women. Flat roofs have replaced the old thatch to dry fish easily and prayer rooms have been added on request.
A new fish landing center in one district is being built on a backwater because the villagers who saw 2,500 of their people die in the tsunami didn’t want to “turn their backs on the sea.” In another village, efforts are on to accommodate the wishes of two groups who worship different forms of Amman – the mother goddess – and wish to be resettled apart.
Building a New Future
The efforts of the administration, communities, and NGOs in the face of such insurmountable odds have begun to pay off. Boats, nets, and engines that were destroyed have been replaced with better ones. Fishing has largely resumed along the devastated coast, and village livelihoods are springing back to life. New fish landing centers and harbors with upgraded facilities are well under construction.
By the middle of next year, most of those who lost their homes will have moved into modern new housing. Once the houses are ready, a part of the World Bank’s US$528.5 million assistance for tsunami reconstruction in India will go towards the provision of schools, dispensaries, community halls, cyclone shelters, and roads in these new settlements. Highways will be rebuilt and damaged fishing harbors restored.
But, cautions Shyamal Sarkar, World Bank task leader for the multi-agency India Tsunami Reconstruction Program, “The reconstruction program will create some disparities. Those directly affected by the tsunami will have their homes, livelihoods, and assets rebuilt for the better, while others in neighboring habitations untouched by the tsunami will remain where they are.”
To forestall resentments from brewing among those who have not benefited from the post-tsunami assistance, the multilateral agencies led by the Bank have suggested to the government that further development schemes be dove-tailed to the tsunami reconstruction program and targeted to these areas.
“Nature gives and nature takes away,” muses Kuppuraj. “Apart from the terrible loss of life,” says Shanmugam, “the tsunami has perhaps brought more than it has taken.” Much change is still to come. Sounds of reconstruction fill the air. A new future is taking shape for India’s fisher folk who lost so much not so very long ago.
By Vinita Ranade, World Bank Office in India. Picture by Sona Thakur, World Bank Office in India.
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