January 29, 2005
AMURT with truckload of relief matterials before taking them to the port in Vishakapattanam - 2
Posted by AMURTWorld at 04:45 AM
AMURT with truckload of relief matterials before taking them to the port in Vishakapattanam - 1
Posted by AMURTWorld at 04:40 AM
January 27, 2005
Relief Goods are being collected near the port before loading them on the ship (Port Blair)
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:55 AM
AMURT Volunteers Leaves for Hut Bay from Port Blair
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:33 AM
The Hindu covers AMURT Tsunami Relief Work
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:28 AM
The Telegrams (Port Blair) Covers AMURT Relief Work
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:08 AM
Ea Nadu (Telegu Newspaper) covers AMURT Tsunami Relief Work
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:03 AM
January 26, 2005
Update of our relief activities for Tsunami Victims at Hut Bay, Little Andaman – 24.01.2005
5 monks and one nun of Ananda Marga left from Vishakapattanam Port by M.V. Harshavardhan on 23rd early morning for Port Blair.
They are carrying with them materials in the ship - 5 tons of Potatoes, 1 ton beaten rice, 1 ton molasses and 204 pieces of lanterns.
Dr. S. Gopal Shastry, our relief co-ordinator for Andra Pradesh took all the care for the smooth dispatch of the goods and the relief team.
Diocese Secretary Port Blair sent one more consignment of materials on 17th of January for Hut Bay, Little Andaman. He sent 5 quintals of Milk Powder, 150 sets of utensils, 90 mosquito nets, water purifier, bathing and washing soap, biscuits, glucose and 75 pieces of lanterns. We got good support from Rotary club, Port Blair in this respect. Apupamanandaji reported from Hut Bay," we have distributed 3 truck loads of materials in last 3 days, that includes Liquid milk and milk powder, tents, utensils, potatoes, beaten rice and gur (molasses). My School is in 4 KM. everything around my school got destroyed by rising Tsunami water but Baba saved my school." Dada is in touch with the project officer there regarding adoption of orphans from little Andaman.
D.S Port Blair visited Campbell Bay of Great Nicober and Katchal Island to supervise our relief activities and make a fresh assessment of further requirements for the tsunami victims there. He gave large quantity of Halogen tablets, Mosquito nets and medicines for the affected people in the camps.
Ananda Marga has been running a school, dairy farm and agriculture project in those two islands. Most of the camps for Tsunami victims are around our school. We need to send 1000 mosquito nets, ladies garments, potatoes, bathing and washing soaps etc there.
‘The Hindu’ largest circulated English daily in India and ‘Ea Nadu’ a widely circulated Telegu News paper from Vishakapattanam had published the news of our service for Tsunami victims. ‘The Telegrams’ an English daily from Port Blair regularly publishes news of our relief activities.
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Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:58 PM
January 19, 2005
ANANDA MARGA IN AID TO THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS OF HUT BAY, LITTLE ANDAMAN
Little Andaman is one of the Islands of Andaman group of Islands, which was devastated by Tsunami. Hut Bay is the main town of little Andaman.
Hut Bay, in the backwater area of Little Andaman was severely hit by Tsunami and collapsed like a house of card. Up to 11 KM from the Jetty (port) got severely damaged. For around 4 days, this Island was completely detached from rest of the world. Shipping Company could only resume its emergency services from the 9th of January although it is only 6 hours journey from Port Blair.
Ananda Marga has been running 3 projects in this Little Island.
At 4 KM – a School and a Children’s Home (orphanage) run by Dada Anupamananda Avt,
At 16 KM – a School and a Children’s home run by Didi Ananda Sudhiira of our Women Welfare Department
At 28 KM – a Multipurpose development project (Master Unit with agriculture farming, plantation and a School for the poor run by Dada Nityamuktanandaji.
Ananda Marga monks and nuns who has better knowledge about the people, their culture and their needs started rescuing and serving cooked food with the help of their School guardian and followers from the first day of the occurrence there.
Govt. of Andaman & Nicober Islands has allowed Ananda Marga volunteers to work at Hut Bay area and offered them to work in 3 basic areas – Sanitation, Medical camps and Counseling in addition to our existing food distribution program.
Nearly 25 to 30 thousands people lived in this little Island before Tsunami. Many of them died and many left the Island.
Exact toll in Hut Bay will likely never be known. In fact, hundreds of family lived near the port, mostly fishermen – nobody even survived to record, if anyone of their family survived.
A.M. missionaries and their volunteers have been distributing Milk powder, Utensils, Blankets, Potatoes, beaten rice, Molasses (Gur), footwear and cooked food to 2019 families at different camps of Hut Bay of Little Andaman.
They have distributed 120 Lanterns to 120 families. Central office of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha based in Kolkata, West Bengal will be shipping another consignment of more lanterns and other relief goods to Port Blair on 21st of January.
Camp wise number of families benefited: -
1. Ounge Tikri – (a camp for the Ounge tribes) In the beginning outsiders were not allowed to help them except govt. From 16th govt. started allowing the Team from Ananda Marga to serve cooked food to them.
2. Corporation Camp- 20 families
3. Kicaar Nala – 144 families
4. Pancha Tikri – 20 families.
5. P – Marine Guest House – 30 families.
6. FDC Guest House – 20 families
7. Model School – 50 families
And in Najafnagar and Kowari Camp.
Avadhutiika Ananda Sudhiira Acarya (Didi), a dedicated nun of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha has been doing counseling in different camps and in her school for the children under the banner of Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team – Ladies (AMURTEL).
Over the first one week some people have died because of infection and breathing failure. Ananda Marga’s medical team provided by the Govt. and local Rotary Club has been providing medical services in all these camps.
The organizers of the Disaster Relief Coordination Committee of Ananda Marga are in constant touch with the Government officials for the Orphan children to take them in Ananda Marga’s own children’s home.
Local Rotary club, Bharat Sevashram Samgha is working along with the team of Ananda Marga based in Ananda Marga Ashram at 4 KM.
A team of five monks and a nun of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha Central have left for for Vishakapattanam yesterday to catch a ship to Andaman & Nicober Islands. Another survey team also left today to Cuddalore and Nagapattanam (Tamilnadu) for long term development and rehabilitation program there. Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha through its branch, Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) is proposing for rehabilitation of orphan children and further environmental protection program in Tamilnadu as well as in Andaman & Nicober Islands.
As soon as the team arrives at Port Blair, which left from Kolkata (Calcutta) via Vishakapattanam, will go to Cambell Bay in Great Nicober (Andaman & Nicober Islands).
Reported by:
Acarya Sutiirthananda Avadhuta,
Tsunami Relief Coordinator, Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha – Central
Kolkata, West Bengal - India
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Posted by AMURTWorld at 04:58 PM
January 18, 2005
'This will also slip away from public memory'
by Amit Varma
[This is a short but heart-breaking story. The victims of the tsunami are unable to sleep. They are living in a nightmare that the rest of the world, far away and relatively comfortable in their homes, cannot even begin to fathom. Eds.]
On our way back towards Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), we stopped again at Pudupettai. We saw a group of people from the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) distributing medicines. We went over to them and started chatting. They were medical doctors who had traveled from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu to help the victims of the tsunami. They had brought both allopathic and homeopathic medicines with them.
I asked the doctors what are the common ailments people are having at this time and how they are treating them.
"Sleeping," replied one of the doctors.
"Sorry," I ask. "Sleeping?"
"Yes," he said sadly. "They come and they tell us, 'We can't sleep, please give us something that will help us sleep.' We give them Avil 25, an anti-allergy tablet that causes sleep as a side-effect."
For days I have heard talk of vaccines, paracetamol and oral rehydration salts until they have become almost meaningless words to me. But now I am jolted into attention. These people are not able to sleep. For now, the pills can help. How long will it be before they can sleep on their own? And what will they dream of?
___________________________________________
Amit Varma is in Pudupettai and sent this first-hand report about the suffering victims of the tsunami.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 09:50 PM
January 17, 2005
Contact Us
ANANDA MARGA UNIVERSAL RELIEF TEAM
527, V. I. P. Nagar (Eastern Metropolitan By Pass Road)
Tiljala, Kolkata - 700100, Tel. +91-33-23451114 / +91-33-23451274
Email: info@amurtworld.org
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:12 PM
AMURT VOLUNTEERS RENDERING SERVICE AMONGST THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS OF CUDDALORE, TAMILNADU (INDIA)
Posted by AMURTWorld at 12:06 PM
Clipping from "The Telegraph" Kolkata
Posted by AMURTWorld at 11:59 AM
Appreciation Letters
Posted by AMURTWorld at 11:52 AM
AMURT VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING CLOTHS TO THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS OF ANDAMAN & NICOBER ILANDS
Posted by AMURTWorld at 11:41 AM
UPDATE OF AMURT’S RELIEF WORK FOR THE TSUNAMY VICTIMS IN ANDAMAN & NICOBER ISLANDS (INDIA)
The monks, nuns and the volunteers of Ananda Marga has been distributing essential materials of different types to the relief camps at Lal Pahad, Guptapara, Badmas Pahad, Bachra Pahad, Wandoor, Soildery and other places of different location of Andaman and Nicober Islands from the very next day of Tsunami tragedy.
With 16 Schools and 2 Master units and 11 whole time dadas and didis and a large number of followers, we have a very strong presence there. Ananda Marga has a full understanding and dedication about the Islands and its requirements. And that makes us different from others in their area of operation.
Our medical relief team consisting of 7 doctors organized medical camps and distributed medicines to thousands of people of Guptapara, Wandoor and in other camps.
They have started vaccination program and large scale sanitation from 29th of December 2004 itself to protect the Tsunami victims from cholera etc. Government has provided us with bleaching powder to continue our sanitation work.
Didi Ananda Vimukta started a counseling centre for the children in her School at Soldiary.
On the 2nd of January’05 Lt. Governor of Andamans called a meeting of the NGO. Our team was represented by our Editor of ‘Sagar Mekhala’ news paper, Ac. Dayadishananda Avt.
We, took up the duty of Sanitation, Medical help and Counseling in addition to food supplies in Hat Bay area of little Andaman which was devastated by Tsunami.
Diocese Secretary, Ac. Mantreshananda Avt, left for Hut Bay area with 30 quintals of Rice, 26 quintals of Potatoes, beaten rice , gur (molasses) and 100 lanterns, candles etc for the affected people there on 7th of January’05.He took with him large quantity of medicines and water packets.
Our Dadas and didis at Hut Bay area of little Andaman started providing cooked food, medical help and shelter for the Tsunami victims from the very next day with whatever they had. They were helped by our school teachers and guardians. They have organized a large kitchen there to provide cooked food to thousands of victims everyday.
Ananda Marga monks are working in Hut Bay area disposed of more than 200 human carcasses.
Our monks and nuns also started counseling work at Hut Bay area of little Andamans and in Junglee ghat, Soildery, Guptapara and other places of Port Blair.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 10:30 AM
UPDATES OF AMURT'S TSUNAMI RELIEF WORK IN TAMILNADU (INDIA)
In Tamilnadu, we sent a team of 8 dadas from Kolkata on 27th of December with food materials, medicines and clothing. Our relief team started their relief operation in Cuddalore district of Tamilnadu, which is one of the poorest district of Tamilnadu.
District collector of Cuddalore and District project officer assigned us the area of relief operation for our team. Our team started distributing mattresses , stoves, cooking utensils, steel plates, food packets, medicines to the people of Pudukuppam, Pudupettai, Kodimarathu street, Chinnur, Annan koli st, Athankarai Theru villages in Parangipettai block. Everyday our team of dadas with 25 other local volunteers has been serving nearly 1200 Tsunami victims.
From 29th of December our team doctors started medical camps in all these villages.
Team leader Ac. Prasunananda Avt said that they got all sorts of co-operation from the local administration. BDO of Parangipettai provided his office to our volunteers for stay.
On 31st of December a group of people from Vivekananda Mission came with 400 packets of rice, 300 pieces of stoves, 400 packets of pulse, milk powder, tea, 400 pieces of bathing soap and other items and handed over to us. They were very much impressed with the service and dedication of our volunteers.
On the 1st of January they again came with 1200 sets of plates and dishes, cooking utensils, medicines gave us to distribute to the needy people.
We have now a second team there to make an assessment to take up the project of building houses and talk to the district administration regarding taking orphans in our Children’s home.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 09:15 AM
How you can help for this cause?
To be delivered in Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India
1. WB/23/109/108127 - Acharya Ritimohananda abadhut - (please follow this spelling)
2. WB/34/238/129098 - Abadhut Acharj Sutirthananda - (please follow the spelling)
Posted by AMURTWorld at 08:56 AM
Communiqué from one of our dada (dedicated monk)
An interesting communiqué from one of our dada (dedicated monk) in Cambell Bay area of Great Nicober.
We were actually very much worried about him. For several days we could not get any trace of him despite several efforts.
Finally when we got in touch with him, he was busy with relief service. He was telling, “it was a dream and then a great shock, I thought, it was an end of the world. For a while I could not think even. After seeing massive destruction all around me including my School and Master unit, I decided, I have to do something with whatever I have for the Tsunami victims. I started getting help from my guardians and School teachers. Boats started coming form port Blair now. I need lots of food materials, medicines, clothing and utensils.”
One of our team is living for Port Blair from Visakhapattanam port on 17th of January with 10 tons of potatoes, 5 quintals of Beaten Rice, Gur (Molasses) and 200 pieces of lanterns.
As soon as our materials arrives there one of our team will leave for Cambel Bay.
We are planning to send another consignment of goods from Kolkata on 28th of this month.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 08:31 AM
ANANDA MARGA UNIVERSAL RELIEF TEAM
Shrii P. R. Sarkar founded Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) in the year 1970. It is a branch of relief section - II of ERAWS (Education Relief and Welfare Section) department of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. Main objective of Ananda Marga is "A'tma Moksa'rtham Jagat Hita'yaca " that is "Realization of the self and Service to the Society”. It is the second part i.e, 'Service to the Society' is being translated into practise through AMURT.
During disasters AMURT provides food and clothings, shelters, refugee help, counselling etc. It also renders emmergency medical services, sanitation etc. It is a team of service oriented volunteers who are disciplined and dedicated for the allround development of human society. Because of its dedicated and disciplined volunteers and vast organizational network it has the ability to move fast to the affected area. Although the AMURT was officially declared by the founder of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha in the year of 1970 but the first seed of it was sowed with the occurrence of drought in Bihar in the year of 1966 and followed by a disastrous earthquake in Maharastra in the year of 1969 where the dedicated volunteers of AMURT had rendered their selfless service to the victims.
Briefly after that the activity of AMURT penetrated all Indian state boundaries and AMURT was able to expand its activities to assist the victims in all sorts of natural disasters like floods, clan war and earthquake in Bosnia, Somalia, and Rowanda and successfully started training program for sustainable development in countries like Burkina Faso and Ghana. By the way of 'All Round Service' (ARS) program AMURT helps in the development of undeveloped areas in a particular country.It has its branches in more than 160 countries of the world.
In last 35 years, activities of AMURT expanded all over the world and it has emerged as one of the most known NGO in the field of disasters and humanitarian services.
To respond to the special plights of women and children and for womens' self-determination, Shrii P.R.Sarkar founded Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team for Ladies (AMURTEL) in the year 1977.
Being satisfied with the selfless service and discipline AMURT, United Nations gave it a status of NGO in the year of 1990. This was then the only NGO in India of this kind. In the recent Tsunami calamity AMURT started its reelief from the very next day in Andaman and Nicober Islands.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 08:03 AM
Ananda Marga Pracharaka Samgha Tsunami Relief
It is well known to you and all by now of the colossal loss of human life and properties due to the Tsunami tragedy in which massive ocean waves triggered by an undersea earthquake on the fateful Sunday, December 26, 2004. The ocean waves swept away in a short span of 30 minutes more than two hundred thousands of lives and several hundreds are still missing. Thousands of children lost their parents, parents lost their dear children and the surviving lost their everything. Never in the past, a calamity of this magnitude has taken place nor the humanity has ever seen the nature’s ferocious fury at its zenith.
The epic devastation due to this Tsunami tragedy remain etched in the world’s collective consciousness and has plunged the whole region in shock and grief. It is well said that what man builds brick by brick over long years of perseverance, the nature can destroy in a single guffaw and nature is not blind and unintelligent but acts as an instrument of God. It gives us enough signals to be good and do good and be kind to the fellow citizens around us.
While the dead cannot be brought back, the Governments and the civil society must do everything in their power to heal wounds, provide relief and rehabilitation on a huge scale, and help reconstruct the lives, livelihood, and assets of the mostly poor people who, on account of the vulnerability of their lives, were the tsunami's principal victims. Apart from mourning the death of the thousands of people who have fallen victim to nature's fury we have to express our solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their relatives or been rendered homeless and destitute.
Ananda Marga Pracharaka Samgha through its branch, Ananda Marga Universal relief Team (AMURT) is rendering its services to the suffering and affected by distributing food, clothes and medical assistance and spiritual counselling for the well being of one and all. Ananda Marga is concentrating all its energies in two areas, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. With over 16 schools run by Ananda Marga in the various Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ananda Marga have a full understanding and dedication about the Islands and its requirements. The Team is distributing essential materials of different types to the relief camps at Badmas Pahad, Lal Pahad, Bachra Pahad, Guptapara, Wandoor from the very next day of Tsunami Tragedy. The Team has also organized a medical relief team consisting of 7 medical staff provided by DHS and distributed medicines in Tsunami affected people of Guptapara, Wandoor and Badmas Pahad. The Team has also disposed of dead bodies of the dead bodies of animals and human beings and helped the Govt. to remove and bury the carcasses in Hut Bay.
The administration of the Islands also has given Ananda Marga the duty of distribution of medicines, sanitation and counselling amidst the victims of the tragedy. Ananda Marga monks burnt a large number of uncared for human bodies in the Hut Bay area of the Islands. Like in Latur earthquake in Maharashra and cyclone in Andhra Pradesh where Ananda Marga has constructed housing colonies with public support, in Andaman Islands also, it desires to take up housing construction programme soon. People belonging to all sections of society are requested to respond to the challenge and contribute generously in various ways. Ananda Marga requests all to donate liberally to the Tsunami Relief Account by cash or by cheque/D.D. drawn in favour of Ananda Marga Pracharaka Samgha Tsunami Relief Account payable at Kolkata.
Posted by AMURTWorld at 04:17 AM