The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : MGR Thittu is a ghost village now

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 10, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

MGR Thittu is a ghost village now

By Ramya Kannan

CUDDALORE, JAN. 9. Today, MGR Thittu is a ghost village. Thirty years ago, it was not even a village.

Among the few structures that still stand on the island, which is almost entirely washed away by the tsunami, is a statue of the former Chief Minister, M.G. Ramachandran.The left arm ends in a stump at the elbow. His right arm is still lifted in the characteristic gesture of victory, but follow that line of vision and the devastation is apparent.

The waves that now lap gently at the feet rose monstrously on December 26 to raze the village to the ground: `pucca' houses reduced to a rubble; wet thatches that were once roofs drying in the beach; fronds of coconut trees browning after the sea washed over them; blue-green fibre boats ripped in half lying on their bellies; wet matchsticks strewn on the ground where a tea stall once stood; bushes flattened, buried in the sands...

S. Thiruvengadam, who has a business renting out earthmoving equipment, has been helping rescue efforts in the village, where more than 80 persons died. He says the bushes might have contributed to the large number of deaths among women, as they were unable to free themselves when their hair was entangled in the brambles.

"We had just constructed our house borrowing Rs. 1 lakh at 60 per cent interest. The housewarming was supposed to be on January 1. This is all that is left of it now," says Maharani, showing an area to her left where the earth has caved in. Barely visible are the remains of a concrete structure — the foundation. Cement bags and bricks, which were piled up by the house, are now strewn all over the island. Her husband, Kaliyaperumal, tries to salvage what he can from the ruins of their new house — all he manages to find are a few casuarina poles. He bundles them, hoping to use them later.

Larger than life tales

Both of them came to the island thirty years ago when MGR visited the island to shoot nearby at Pitchavaram for his film, `Idhayakani.' A number of larger than life tales are told about his visit: some say he stayed there, others say he took people with him. Maharani says he merely visited the island, but in her take of the local legend, she believes that he urged fisherfolk to settle down there. "We came from Muzhukkuthurai. And stayed here. The village also prospered after that. Some of them have become rich enough to go abroad. None in our family, though."

Leader's visit recalled

Another family too came with them — a couple and their three children — and settled at MGR Thittu. Ekanathasamy and Kuppama say MGR visited the island thrice. "We came here for work — fishing. And prospered. But now there is nothing," says Kuppama. Standing under the statue, she turns to the sea and wails, "You gave us everything we had and you took it all away. How will we live now?"

They now live in a relief camp in Muzhukkuthurai, where food, water and clothing are not supplied regularly. Her husband adds, "We eat three meals everyday and for that we are thankful. But how long will we take charity? Dignity for us is when we set out on our boats again. Peace is when we can feel the sea rock our boats."

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