A Coastal Yatra to protest the lack of people’s voices and recognition of their concerns, as well as corruption during rehabilitation, is being organized starting from Vedaranyam on May 21,2005 and ending with a demonstration in Chennai on May 30,2005.

The yatra will include representatives of National Fish workers Forum, National Alliance of People's Movements, Unorganised Workers Federation, Gram Swaraj Movement, Coastal Fisher people's Protection Committee, Fisher people's Liberation Tigers,Coastal Action Network, Sarpam Iruler Thozhilalar Sangam, Fisher people's Panchayats, Rural organizations, Trade unions and Women's organizations will

The Coastal Yatra is being undertaken to focus public-governmental attention on the need for people oriented and participatory livelihood restoration, provision of housing organically linked to livelihoods and a critique of the WB-ADB and UN Report on post Tsunami Reconstruction Program and to create awareness among the Coastal people on the livelihood rights.

The Tsunami hit people have been facing inadequate relief measures, forced evictions and denial of livelihoods. Further the recent ADB, WB and UN loan is based on assumption that in the name of safety, harbour based fishing and aquaculture would be supported while Coastal people could be removed to far off places, denying their livelihoods. In this context, we appeal to you for Solidarity to Suffering and struggling people, by actively supporting and participating in the Coastal Yatra.

The Yatra Demands:

1. The list of affected families must be immediately put out on notice boards and on the Internet. People's participation in rehabilitation must be safeguarded through committees to be formed in all the areas with adequate representation of fish workers, unorganised sector workers, Dalits, Tribals, Youth and Women.
2. The State Govt must put out a True Report of Tsunami Relief measures. Thousands of families left out in relief must be provided with relief immediately Care must be taken to include widows, women headed households in all the affected areas.
3. The Tsunami relief for the families of deceased and missing person as well as for the injured persons must be provided immediately.
4. Protected drinking water, toilets, electricity, balwadis must be provided in all temporary and permanent shelters and Public health ensured. Liquor shops on the coast should be closed immediately.
5. The housing and livelihood needs are organically linked and so rehabilitation housing must be provided at locations chosen by the affected communities and within 1 kilometer of the livelihood areas, in protected places (2 cents in urban areas and 5 cents in rural areas). The appropriate housing must be designed and built with people’s participation and provided free to the affected people. Forced evictions taking place in North and South Chennai to far off places (8-15 Kms), and blackmailing the people by withholding aid, are illegal and must be stopped. The circular of Tsunami special commissioner advocating removal of fishing communities but exempting big establishments, must be withdrawn.
6. The fisher people who have lost fishing equipment, even if though water had not entered their homes, they must be compensated for the losses. Since the membership enrolment in Fisher co-operatives has been stopped in the last 5 years the list of people to receive livelihood assistance must be finalized only by consulting Fisher Panchayats and boats and nets provided for the men. Fisher women of each area should be provided with compensation in the form of fish vessel, plate and Rs.5000 working capital to women Also, other affected unorganised sector workers - boatyard carpenters, tricycle, rickshaw, construction, beedi workers, beach vendors etc must be compensated for the loss of equipment and tools and provided with livelihood assistance.
7. Dredging of rivers, lakes and removal of sand bars at confluences have to be done immediately.
8. No grants must be provided to Shrimp farms and they must be closed as per the Supreme Court judgment .
9. To prevent further sea erosion and impact of tsunamis and cyclones in the future, mangrove forestry, building of protective walls and stone piling on the coast must be undertaken with coastal people’s participation.
10. Since there are complaints about misdistribution of relief, the relief must be provided with transparency with a monitoring committee with people’s participation. Stringent action must be taken on errant officials.
11. Counseling and special rehabilitation scheme must be evolved with people’s participation for children’s loss of parents, parent's loss of children, loss of life partners, due to tsunami.
12. Shrimp farms, Nuclear power stations, Chemical factories and other schemes endangering the environment and livelihoods must not be allowed on the coast. Criminal cases foisted on the fisher and agricultural people who protested against prawn farming must be with drawn.
Based on research by the Unorganized People’s Forum

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