Dozens hurt in Andamans clashes
Source: Reuters
By Sanjib Kumar Roy HUT BAY, India, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of people have been hurt in clashes with police in India's Andaman islands during protests over the rebuilding of homes destroyed by the 2004 tsunami, witnesses said on Saturday. About 1,500 people took to the streets of Hut Bay on Little Andaman island, 100 km (62 miles) south of the regional capital, Port Blair, late on Thursday demanding officials listen to their grievances. "We have many demands regarding the rehabilitation process," said Paritosh Halder, a local leader. "We have submitted our charter of demands long back to the administration but no one cares for us. We are not happy with the design of permanent shelters and their location." Houses are being built far away from sources of income and families are being asked to share properties, protesters said. The giant waves that inundated the island chain, 1,200 km (750 miles) off the Indian mainland, after the Dec. 26 tsunami killed thousands and made large numbers homeless. On Little Andaman about 1,700 people are still waiting for new homes. Witnesses said 13 policemen were also injured in the clashes, while the police said only 10 local people had been hurt. But activists said between 70 and 80 protesters were injured as officers charged the crowd using canes. Some of them had been seriously hurt and were in hospital, the activists said. A government jeep was set on fire and a police station pelted with stones and glass bottles. Samir Acharya of the Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology said the violence was unprecedented. "It shows that people have been provoked and their anger knows no bounds," he said. "If you are a farmer tied to your land, how would you like to be 3-4 km from your land? How will they bring their produce to market?" Homes for fishermen were being built on hill tops. "Why are they sending prefabricated houses that we can't repair when they are damaged? Give the people timber and they will build the houses they need for themselves." In the weeks following the tsunami, officials were heavily criticised for providing temporary shelters made from the wrong materials -- corrugated iron that turned homes to ovens under the tropical sun -- and in the wrong places. Jaspal Singh, a senior police officer in Port Blair told Reuters the situation in Hut Bay was tense but under control. "I have asked them to stop all this violence," Manoranjan Bhakta, the member of parliament for the islands, said. He added that the issue of permanent resettlements should be reopened to address the islanders' complaints.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
