Indian fishermen want boats, not aid, in aftermath of tsunamis

Published: 2005-01-05

CUDDALORE, India (CNS) -- Aravindan pleads with tsunami relief workers to give him boats and nets, not bread or clothes. "We want to get back to fishing and make our living," said the 36-year-old fisherman, who lost two sisters in the Dec. 26 tsunami tragedy, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Aravindan is among hundreds of tsunami survivors, most of whom depend on fishing for their livelihood, in the Cuddalore area of southern India's Tamil Nadu state. All of them have lost their fishing gear along with family members. "We don't want any relief materials except boats and nets to get back to the sea," he said, expressing confidence he could rebuild his life within six months. Aid workers in Sonamkuppa, Aravindan's coastal village, said his words reflect the general sentiment among local people. All the houses in the village were either damaged or washed away.

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