After the Tsunami hit the Islands, we organized relief work with the help of the local people. We mobilized whatever food was left and pooled all the food and organized a combined kitchen, sharing whatever we have without any discrimination. We had to subsist on different leaves and wild tubers while waiting for help to come from the capital. Relief supplies came only on the seventh day. It was a nightmarish experience, as the ground was shaking violently every 15 minutes and a violent, unfriendly sea stared in our faces. We had no electricity, no drinking water and nothing to eat. In addition, many people around us were missing or lay dead, causing a vast stench everywhere. As per the Government, the earthquakes that took place after the Tsunami were roughly 1800 in number. Only God helped and motivated us to inspire the suffering island people not to lose heart and to move forward. One of the most important tasks was to provide continuous counseling to the children, who were completely traumatized due to the vast devastation and particularly due to the loss of their near and dear ones. While the dead had been swept away, life for the survivors was more miserable with each passing day.

The local people were thankful to Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT/EL) for helping them at a critical point in the history of the island. When Union Minister Shri Shiv Raj Patil visited, expressed his gratitude to us in glowing terms from the core of his heart. Mr. Patil was also moved by the saga of our struggle and spoke words of praise for AMURT/EL, saying that he knew AMURT/EL well as it did immense relief work in his home district and parliamentary constituency in Latur, Maharastra during the earthquake of 2001. He was more surprised to see Ananda Marga monks and nuns were working on the faraway Nicobar and Andaman Islands for so many years doing service to the local inhabitants. I feel it as a great blessing that AMURT founder Shrii P. R. Sarkar had posted us where none had dared to go earlier. The Tsunami relief work done by us here on all the islands has caused the perception of local people as well as government officials to be highly positive about our organization. .

Due to the Tsunami, my School building got badly damaged, and in the last rainy season it was difficult to run the School. Although the government made many promises to the people, not much help has arrived. We have waited for more than one year, hoping that the government would arrange for reparations for the people and repairs to the school building. However, up until now, they have given only one of two options: (1) to repair the approach road to the school or (2) to repair the school roof. We were forced to select Option (1), as without approach road the children cannot come to the school. The school roof now leaks badly, which makes life miserable during the rainy season. We have frequent rains on the islands and always in heavy density. In February, 2006, one morning as the school was running, the supporting beam of the roof fell down. It was the grace of God that no one was injured. There are dangerous cracks on the floor of the second story of the school building. The walls everywhere are riddled with bad cracks. We need to urgently repair the school and make it structurally safe for the children. For this purpose, I request all who read this letter to please consider helping me in this project via sending a donation.

Many suggest that we should go for a new construction entirely, as the old structure may collapse. I am giving you a budget for the construction of a new building for the School. I hope you will be kind enough to help me by sending your contribution. I will be grateful for whatever you can provide.

The break up of material requirements are given below. The total amount required for construction of a new school building comes to around Rs. 6,10,322.00 as per the present market value.

We will be very grateful to you for your kind co-operation and help.

With regards,

Sincerely yours,

Avadhutika Ananda Vimukta Acarya
Principal

For Donations, Demand Draft (Payable at South Andama - Andaman and Nicobar Islands), can be sent by post to:
ANANDA MARGA PRIMARY SCHOOL
CHOULDHARI, NIMBUBAGICHA
SOUTH ANDAMAN, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS.
TELEPHONE: 91-3192-289019

Or to,
Ac. Sutiirthananda Avt.
Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha
527, V.I.P. Nagar, Tiljala (E. M. By Pass Road)
Kolkata – 700100, West Bengal, India
Tel. +91-33-23451274
Email: info@amurtworld.org or, sutiirthananda@hotmail.com

Or, By Wire Transfer to:

Account Name: ANANDA MARGA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Bank Name: STATE BANK OF INDIA

Account Number: 01100050001

Branch: CHOULDHARI BRANCH

______________________________ More pictures and the Schedule of Quantities & Budget for the Proposed School Building at Choudhuri Bari