நீலக்கடலில் கருமையான சுனாமி அலைகள்

ஜெயா டிவியில் வந்த எனது பேட்டியின் வீடியோவை வலையில் ஏற்றிய அனுபவம் இங்கு குறிப்பிடும் சுனாமி பற்றிய டாகுமெண்டரியை வலையேற்றவும் உதவி செய்தது.

சுனாமியை பற்றிய இந்த டாகுமெண்டரி முதலில் பொதிகையில் தமிழில் வந்தது. தமிழில் ஸ்க்ரிப்ட் கொடுத்தது எழிலன் அவர்கள். அதன் ஆங்கில மொழி பெயர்ப்பு வேலை எனக்குக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது. அதை கொடுத்த அதிகாரி என்னிடம் தெளிவாகவே தனது தேவையை கூறினார். எழிலன் அவர்களது ஸ்க்ரிப்ட் கவித்துவமாக வந்தது. ஆங்கிலத்திலும் அதே பாணியில் தர வேண்டும் என்பதே அவர் என்னிடம் கூறியது.

அவ்வாறு நான் தந்த ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பை பி.சி. ராமகிருஷ்ணா அவர்கள் தனது கம்பீரமான குரலில் படிக்க, அது 13-03-2005 ஞாயிற்றுக் கிழமை காலை 10 மணிக்கு தூர்தர்ஷன் நேஷனல் சேனலில் ஒளி பரப்பப்பட்டது.

இது சம்பந்தமாக நான் பிப்ரவரி 16-ஆம் தேதி சில கடல் காற்றுகளைப் பற்றி வெளியிட்ட பதிவுக்கான பின்னூட்டங்களுக்கு நன்றி கூறுகிறேன்.

எனது ஆங்கில ஸ்க்ரிப்டை ராமக்ரிஷ்ணா அவர்கள் படிப்பதை படபிடிப்பு செய்தபோது என்னையும் கூட ஒத்தாசைக்கு கூப்பிட்டிருந்தார்கள், அதாவது தேவையானால் ஸ்க்ரிப்டில் படிக்கும் வேகத்துக்கேற்ப மாற்றங்கள் செய்யும் பொருட்ட. ஆனல் அதற்கு தேவையே ஏற்படவில்லை. ராமக்ரிஷணா அவர்கள் ஒரு பென்சிலை எடுத்து கொண்டார். விறுவிறு என்று வார்த்தைகளை மார்க் செய்ய ஆரம்பித்தார். அதாவது எங்கு இடைவெளி கொடுப்பது என்பதற்கான குறியீடுகளாம் அவை. ஒரு முறை வேகமாக மனதில் படித்து கொண்டு விட்டு, ரெடி ஸ்டார்ட் என்றார். ரிகார்டிங் தொடங்கியது. முழுக்க படித்த பிறகே நிறுத்தினார். தயாரிப்பாளர் ஓரிரு இடங்களை திரும்ப படிக்கச் சொல்ல அதையும் தயக்கமின்றி செய்தார். அவ்வளவுதான். வேலை முடிந்தது. வீட்டுக்கு திரும்பும்போது எனக்கும் லிஃப்ட் கொடுத்தார்.

நான் எழுதிய சொற்கள்தான் என்றாலும் அதை அவர் தெளிவாக படிக்கும்போது அவற்றின் வீச்சு எனக்கு இன்னும் தெளிவாக புலப்பட்டது.

இப்போது இதே வீடியோவை மூன்றாக பிரித்துள்ளேன். அவற்றை பார்த்து விட்டு சொல்லுங்கள். முழு ஸ்க்ரிப்டையும் கீழே கொடுத்துள்ளேன். பார்க்க/கேட்க இங்கே சுட்டவும்.

ஒவ்வொன்றாக பார்க்க:

முதல் பகுதி




இரண்டாம் பகுதி




மூன்றாம் பகுதி

 

இந்த வீடியோ பகுதிகளைப் பார்க்கும்போது முதலில் விட்டு விட்டு வரும். கணினிக்கு கோப்பு இறங்கி அது பிராட்காஸ்ட் செய்யப்படுகிறது. இது ஒரே நேரத்தில் அரக்க பரக்க நடப்பதால் இந்த சிக்கல். ஆகவே ஒன்று செய்யுங்கள். எனது சுட்டியை ஒரு தனி ஜன்னலில் திறக்குமாறு செய்யவும் (right click + open in new window or shift+left click simultaneously). ப்ளே போட்டு ஒரு வினாடி கழித்து pause பட்டனை க்ளிக்கவும். பிறகு சற்று நேரத்துக்கு ஜன்னலை மினிமைஸ் செய்து விட்டு வேறு பக்கங்களைப் பார்க்கவும். சில நிமிடங்கள் கழித்து இந்த ஜன்னலுக்கு திரும்ப வந்தால். கணிசமான அளவு டௌன்லோட் ஆகியிருக்கும். அப்போது ப்ளே பட்டனை அழுத்தினால் விடாது பார்க்கலாம்/கேட்கலாம். அதே போல மூன்று பாகங்களுக்கும் செய்யவும்.

முழு ஆங்கில ஸ்க்ரிப்டும் கீழே தரப்பட்டுள்ளது. தமிழில் எழிலன் அவர்கள் கவித்துவமாக எழுதியது போல ஆங்கிலத்திலும் அப்படியே வெளிவந்துள்ளதா என்று பாருங்கள். தமிழ் ஸ்க்ரிப்டை எங்கோ வைத்து விட்டேன். இல்லாவிட்டால் அதையும் தட்டச்சு செய்திருக்கலாம்.

ஆங்கில வெர்ஷனுக்கு இந்தியா முழுவதும் வரவேற்பு என கேள்விப்பட்டேன். ஏதோ அவார்டு கூட கொடுத்தார்களாம். அம்முயற்சியில் எனது பங்கும் இருப்பதில் மகிழ்ச்சியே.

அன்புடன்,
டோண்டு ராகவன்

Black Tsunami waves in the blue sea
By M.A. Ezhilan
(Translated from Tamil into English by N.Raghavan)

Montage:
Lend me your ears, oh great sea! Your lips filled us with pearly smiles!

Hear me out, you Great Ocean! Blessed were we with the rain of your kindness!

The tasty fish from your vast expanse took the pride of place on our tables!

Evenings passed with your vast beaches dotted with crabs serving as cricket fields for our bouncing children!

Nights raced into mornings, with your waves acting as a cradle full of lullabies for the weary multitudes!

During fullmoon nights, your sandy dunes formed vast beds for the lovers in bliss!

Your waves full of foams filled our salt fields with the salt of life!

Your pearly white waves dancing on our shores shaped us into poets, driving away worries from our hearts!

Your pearls harvested from Tuticorin were among the treasures exported to the old Roman Empire!

You are a flower garden for the fishes; the long tresses of your sandy beaches add to the glory of our Bharat Mata!

Did you not serve as a gateway for the visits of foreign guests to our shores?

You were a silent Chanakya for all our social, economic and cultural transformations!

In the days long gone by, you swallowed the great land of Kapaadapuraa, which nurtured the Tamil language, comprising of her three noble elements, namely prose/poetry, music and drama!

You buried Pumbuhaar into the sea; swallowed up slowly but steadily the paradise of sculptures, our beloved Mamallapuram of the seven temples' fame!

Earlier, 49 countries along the Pacific Rim fell prey to your destructive Tsunami waves!

Around the midnight of the 22nd December 1964, you wiped out Dhanushkodi along with a train full of people, killing innocent lives in the bargain!

Oh my, how bloodthirsty you have become!

"The sea is our factory, the boats our offices" This formed the leitmotif of our fishermen, who considered themselves as your favoured children and look what happened to them on this black day, the 26th of December 2004!

The lighthouse sits there helplessly, unable to throw a light on your deeds!


What happened on that day?

Interview with Raththinam, a fisherman in Nagappattinam:
It was around 9 AM. We were sitting on a log, talking to one another. There were about 500 persons around us. All of a sudden, we witnessed some four or five successive rows of waves racing towards the shore. They were huge and tall. Shouting "run, run", we climbed up the Matha Ice factory nearby. There were some 15 ladies and gents with us. People caught up in water shouted for help, weeping and begging us to save them...
We tried throwing down a rope to them. However, nobody could catch it. Waves were attacking ferociously. Boats were thrown helter-skelter on the bridge. We could do nothing. We were desperate and praying to God. We were scared. After 10 minutes, the water receded. We went down and saw. There were dead bodies galore. We could do nothing...!

Voice:
Our eyes shed waves of tears, seeing the devastated port of Nagappattinam.
The shattered boats sob out the stories of broken hearts, relating the heart-rending events of that black day!

Were the destructions limited to Nagappattinam alone?
Nay, not even the victorious Velankanni could escape this fate.

When the huge Tsunami waves hit this beautiful house in front of this beach, two of its inhabitants saved themselves by desperately holding on to a ceiling fan. A few words spoken by the relatives:

Interview:
"On that day, when the "jet black" Tsunami waves attacked, both my father and the son of my younger brother were killed. He and his wife were able to hold on to the ceiling fan and to save their lives. My mother, who at that time was near the door, is missing. We did not see her afterwards. She is still missing."

Because the waves came just upto the gates of Velankanni temple and went back, there is no loss of life or damage to property within the temple premises. The temple continues to stand defiantly!

Here is a scene unfolding as witnessed by a cleaning worker.

Interview with the cleaning personnel:
"As I came here to clean up, I saw dead bodies wherever I looked."
We pushed them into three pits and buried them. Then it became difficult to lift them up. We poured petrol on them and burnt them wherever they were. Near this place, there is the Upparu stream. In Akkaraippeettai, there are three streets. All of them vanished. The population here was around 5000. Not even one family survived."

Voice: An information centre is being run at Velankanni for locating the missing persons.

Interview with an Inspector:
"The persons missing from here include also the people from the various states, foreigners, tourists.

We keep here their photos. If their relatives come here and identify them, we promptly do the needful to provide them relief."
"Now this is being done in Nagappattinam too.
We provide information through the Internet as well. Until now, we have helped 30 persons in this manner.
As a follow up, we give Rs. 100,000 to the relatives of the dead. These photos will be referred to and the needful done for providing death certificate from the Panchayath office as well as relief.

Voice:
The anguish of the people weeping on seeing the photos of the dead is heart-rending.
The distressed voice of a mother, who lost her child:

Interview of an old woman:
"She was a doll-like girl. We lost this doll. We are not much bothered about the loss of home and property. If only she had lived ..., we would not be starving...She would have worked and looked after us."

Voice:
The relief teams organized by the Government look after the welfare measures, listen to people's complaints and do the needful for setting things right.

Interview with Dr. Saroja, Chief of TADCO:
As for the other reliefs, we provide 60 kgs of rice, Rs. 4,000/, 2 bedspreads, one dhoti, and one sari. Immediate relief: The Velankanni Panchayat Office bank officials promptly deposit the relief cheque in the direct presence of the affected party, who is then given the passbook.

Voice:
The Salvation Army is engaged in distributing food in Kallaru village. Immediate needs are:
Food, clothes, place to live, a new life, employment opportunities!

Government and voluntary agencies outdo one another in their noble quest for providing succour towards rejuvenated life. It is a great scene to behold! It shows a high in human compassion!
When the giant Tsunami overran the fishing village of Kallaaru, it surprised a group of college students playing on the beach. A shocked account of the unfolding event coming from one among them:
Interview with a college student:
1. Water was bubbling up and down in the nearby pond. We saw it with amazement.
2. This lasted for about 15 to 30 minutes.
3. It was around 9 to 9=15 AM. The sun was blazing. The cawing of the crows sounded differently. Then there was a breeze with a distinct tone. As we were staring without comprehension, there was a big wave, sweeping away everything in its way. Look, there was a road here connecting to Nagappattinam. It is totally gone. Now there is nothing. We just ran away. Many people lost their lives. Many a small child, adult, they all died.

Voice:
Mother Nature does not do anything without adequate warning.
Before the rains, come lightning and thunder, giving sufficient notice to people and animals alike.
Even the raging sea gives signs of her fury. Nobody took cognizance of these signals. This was touched upon in an interview with one of the natural scientists of the sea, namely fishermen:

Interview with Chandran, a fisherman:
"We are indeed scientists albeit without formal education. We observe the sea and get to know about storms in the making. Before a storm, the foams roll up into balls, this is not so at normal times. This signals a storm that is coming your way!

While fishing, we see at times that the waves are differently shaped. When the sea becomes rougher, we know that it is time to go ashore.

Before venturing out on the catamaran, we insert a stick on the seashore. At times of impending storm, the stick will pass into the sand with ease, because of its sogginess. At normal times, it will not go into the sand so easily. The sand will then be firmer! It will be difficult to pull out an inserted stick.

We give different names to the diverse breezes such as Kondakkaththu (கொண்டக்காத்து), Kodakkaththu (கோடைக்காத்து), Kachchavkaaththu (கச்சாவ்காத்து), Vadakkaththu (வாடைக்காத்து), Vadakondakkaaththu (வாடைகொண்டைக்காத்து)etc.

We have given these names to them. There is a pattern in all these things. When there are certain changes perceived by us, we realize that it is time we went ashore. However, this Tsunami wave was unprecedented.

Interview: Visvalingam:
At around 8=45 AM the wave came shooting down the beach like a bullet speeding from the gun.... Nevertheless, prior to that, the sea was quite calm, just ordinary looking.... We were here... It was not a big sea...As the wave came, we all ran away. After 5 or 10 minutes, the sea withdrew.

People, who had run away from home, came back to collect their things. At that time, another wave came in and carried off 80-90 persons, including one of my younger brothers.
Voice:
Boats are not the only ones that have been overturned. Tsunami waves turned entire lives topsy-turvy. The fishing activities along with their ancillary industries, hundreds of families dependent on the marketing of fish and their aspirations have all been torn asunder by the cruel Tsunami waves....

A fisherwoman, belonging to Singarathoppu village in Cuddalore District, who was swept off by a giant wave and then rescued in an unconscious state, is narrating her miraculous escape:

Fisherwoman:
"My brother's mother-in-law climbed up a coconut tree, as the water came rushing. Five of us were caught up in the sea and were shouting for help...Boys hailing from our village rescued us. There was not a stitch of clothing on our bodies. The waves had carried them off. The bridge out there helped us a lot. We should be grateful that it was there. Without that, things could have been worse. All the people in our three villages would have lost their lives. We climbed up the bridge and saved ourselves."

Fearing a renewed Tsunami attack, an entire fishing village refuses to spend the nights at home. The entire village is shifting to high ground for sleeping. Some snippets of information from these people:

Interview:
1. There was a rumour to the effect that the sea is swelling again. Hence, yesterday afternoon many persons ran away. The rumour turned out to be unfounded. Then we all came back. Nevertheless, this fear makes them to vacate the village during nights.

Interview with Muththu of Akkarappettai:
When even a small child floats a rumour, we have to give credence to it.... We are unable to dismiss it as just a rumour. We put up a brave face but the heart is full of confusion. Whenever there is an impending storm, a warning light will be placed atop the hill in the "Storm Warning Centre". There was no such warning on that day at all.

Voice:
Tsunami's speed is around 800 kmph. We are now seeing a 350-tonne boat, which the Tsunami wave tossed away...
Waves coming up like heads of cobras have created havoc with the levels on the ground. A Poclain earth excavator is busy undoing the damages wrought by the sea!

Fleeing the Tsunami, this boat has crash-landed in the Nagore railway station. We are now face to face with the real fury of the Tsunami. Our hearts are full of amazement!

The fishermen hamlets in the harbour area of Nagore have been affected. Here too the rehabilitation work is in full swing.

A few samples of the emotional outbursts from the hearts of the fishermen in the hamlet of Nagore Pattinancheri:

Interview:
Fishing is the only activity we know. We do not know anything else. As to the question of resuming our venture into the sea, we have lost everything. All kinds of nets, boats, catamarans ... everything is gone.
Thadachi valai weighs 200 kgs and costs around Rs. 100,000/. This amount is indispensable for spinning and assembling that net. It represents our prime property.
We require Rs. 30,000/ for a boat engine. For a fibreglass boat we require Rs. 87,000/. We lost five catamarans, our 7 HP engine, in short everything. We are now literally on the street.

Voice:
We cast nets to catch fish. The sea on the other hand, sent in her waves to cart us away.
The blue sea with her ever-changing face has transformed herself with her black Tsunami waves, into a sea of sorrow, a mysterious sea of fear and a sea of agony.

We shall convert this destructive energy into a constructive one by taking recourse to science, ever resurging thoughts of the humankind.

We sincerely hope that in future, science will provide us with reliable guidelines.