All Indian People`s Resistance Forum

AIPRF has been taking up relief work in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for people affected in the Tsunami disaster that had struck South East Asia on 26th December, 2004. In India alone the casualties officially have crossed 15,000. Tsunami has caused a massive destruction of human life and sources of livelihood of millions of poor fisher folk and farmers on the coastal areas in three states.

In Andhra Pradesh, hundreds of villages in Prakasam, Nellore and Godavari districts have been affected badly. Along the coastal line of Tamil Nadu and Kerala people were affected in a worst way. Unfortunately, our organisation is not in a position to work among the affected in Tamil Nadu where the devastation was the worst.

It is impossible to fully restore the conditions of the lives of these millions of people immediately. But we can at least share some of their grief by joining our hands with them at this hour of disaster.

While the governmental relief work has entangled in the wheels of monstrous bureaucracy, the big NGOs have their own monumental lapses in reaching out to the needy. For the next 3-4 months the affects have to go through a kind of traumatic experience as they are not in a position to renew their livelihood sources. For fisher folk who is the worst hit can´t go on the sea for fishing. They have lost their boats and nets and other infrastructure. It needs hundreds of thousands of rupees to arrange these basic necessities even in small way.

For example through our Andhra Pradesh committee survey among the worst affected fisher folk in Prakasam district, we found that the kind of boats and nets alone cost millions of rupees as the investment in fishing sky-racketed in the recent years due to the wrong policies the Indian government. The government allowed deep-sea fishing vessels in the coast by MNCs. As a result of which the traditional nets and boats rendered useless for the fisher folks. Quite often, the government´s help doesn´t reach the poor and Dalits.

We plan to arrange minimum facilities that are within our capacity through our activists who are now working among the affected in some areas in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Our activists in Andhra Pradesh have already been distributing rice and other needful things among the affected fishing communities. What we think now is that we need to support them at least partially in restoring some infrastructural facilities, though in a small way.

We appeal to all individuals and orgainsations for contributions in cash for the people affected. The needed materials can be bought on the basis of actual situation in the particular areas where our activists are working among the affected.

Contributions can be sent by cheque or directly remitted in the Bank account in the name of:
Gokarakonda Ramadevudu
Account number: 01190011327; State Bank of Hyderabad; Branch: Gunfoudry, Abids, Hyderabad

For further details contact: Darshanpal 09417055994/ G N Saibaba: 011-55699584
Phone: (011) 27675001; E-mail: aiprf.org@rediffmail.com, aiprf@rediffmail.com

G. N. Saibaba
General Secretary
AIPRF

G N Saibaba
General Secretary
All India Peoples Resistance Forum (AIPRF)