The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : `Voluntary' gesture to tsunami victims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

`Voluntary' gesture to tsunami victims

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, JAN.4 . A group of city-based voluntary organisations have come together to float a council to serve as an umbrella organisation to take up short and long-term rehabilitation measures for the tsunami affected families in Nagapattinam and other districts.

Organised under the auspices of Anbalayam, a voluntary agency, a consultative meeting of the council held here on Monday decided to focus primarily on extending mental health counselling and legal assistance to the tsunami-affected families in the `unreached' remote coastal hamlets.

It was pointed out that many of the affected families including children, women and youth suffered from fear psychosis following the onslaught of seismic waves.

Some have displayed symptoms of acute psychosis and entertained apprehensions on returning to their native hamlets and the sea.

The council would pool in resources of member voluntary organisations especially medical professionals, psychiatric social workers and legal professionals to address the emotional problems faced by the affected persons. Legal assistance including liaison with government agencies, insurance companies and banks would be extended to the needy. Reports indicated that some of the affected families had insurance cover but had lost the documents.

In a few cases, the affected families faced certain difficulties in establishing their claims. The council would strive to address the difficulties in such cases by providing free legal assistance, the NGO representatives said.

The council would act as facilitator to ensure that the genuinely affected people got the assistance offered by various government and voluntary agencies.

The council members resolved to identify the "unreached" coastal hamlets by deputing a team of social workers and chalk out a plan of action. Besides, short-term intervention, the council decided to take up long-term support measures for the affected families at least for a period of three years.

Orphaned children and the destitute would be guided and admitted to appropriate support institutions.

It was decided to identify and reach out to the families of deceased or missing pilgrims and tourists from Tiruchi and neighbouring districts during their visit to Velankanni and other places. These families would be provided counselling and legal assistance. Such families could get in touch with the council for any assistance over the telephone at 0431-2333102/94431-67607, the founder secretary of Anbalayam, T.K.S.Senthil Kumar, said.

Condolence meeting

The Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, has planned to send 1000 litres of disinfectants and phenyls to the affected areas and other materials worth Rs. 10,000.

Speaking at a condolence meeting held here today, its secretary, S. Pushpavanam, said the council was associated with the relief work from day one and had sent food packets and other relief materials on Dec. 27.

S. Rajkumar who participated in the relief work in Nagapattinam for the first four days observed that items like soap, disinfectants and phenyl were the most-needed in the tsunami-affected areas.

The president of the Council, S. Sundaresan, presided.

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