Post-tsunami
survey reveals negative social changes in affected communities
Driven to despair
Communities affected by the tsunami have started losing self-confidence
and are displaying characteristics of insecurity. They are in a
state of frustration. Their expectations in educating the children
in better schools or achieving occupational targets as well as their
hopes of building a house and developing their property have been
shattered. Also, their behavioural patterns have changed and certain
unhealthy features have crept in.
This
is the picture which has emerged in a post-tsunami survey conducted
by the Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB), a professional research
organization, on behalf of Sarvodaya, with assistance from the World
Bank. The survey was conducted among community leaders representing
the tsunami-affected communities in the south and the east. Six
focus groups of community leaders with direct experience in post-tsunami
relief and reconstruction efforts, participated in the survey. The
survey covered the southern areas of Koggala, Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa
and the eastern areas of Vakarai, Kattankudy and Kalawanchikudy.
"Their
frustration has been further aggravated when some communities realized
that they are now no different to the poorest families in their
community before the tsunami,” the report says.
The report identifies the following indicators of behaviour:
- Self-centred
- Opportunistic
- Indifferent
It
claims that there appears to be four overlapping social categories
prevailing since the tsunami — hence the culture is a mix
of the following mindsets:
Category A: Those who believe in collecting or requesting for as
many items as possible, property or cash for a better future (Collector).
Category B: Those who believe in getting the best to enjoy life
and do every thing possible at present (Enjoyer).
Category
C: Those who are keen to get back to pre-tsunami life through conventional
means with support (Returnee). Category D: Those who believe that
they should depend on someone to shape their life (Depender).
As a result of such mindsets and behaviour of people, several changes
in society have been observed. These include:
- More
pregnancies
-
Interest in sex and marriage
- Deteriorating
religious values and relationships with temple and church
-
Upgrading to stronger or better alcohol, cigarettes and other
vices
-
More people consuming alcohol with some of them having more money
in their hands and others on the pretext of drowning their worries
and overcoming sadness
The
motive for getting married is to obtain goodies which are given
per household. There is also the possibility of getting a house
if it is a family unit.
Meanwhile, several of the communities have acquired new characteristics
due to their tsunami experience.
Collectiveness
is one such feature. Some of the community members are keen to share
their resources to develop the community, as they believe that collectively
they will have more bargaining power, through which they will be
able to reach better standards in life. They are appreciative of
the assistance provided and often stress the need for harmony, unity,
protection and the importance of caring.
Animosity
is a key factor that the community leaders repeatedly mentioned.
It was inevitable for some community members to be living in bitterness
and their reaction to be arrogant and argumentative. This behaviour
does not help the community member or society.
Some
have developed self-pity. They pity themselves and this has made
them to lead a passive and helpless life with low self-respect.
This has resulted in carrying out demeaning acts while others seem
to be expecting the government to take charge of their lives.
A
main concern of community leaders is the laziness of community members
where lethargy is becoming common behaviour. This behaviour is partly
due to the free flow of sustainable income and goods from charitable
institutions.
A tendency to be ungrateful has developed among some members in
the community. They don't appreciate the efforts put in by the government,
NGOs, other voluntary organizations and individuals. There were
instances where recipients made a mockery of what was given.
Dishonesty
is another trait noticed among individuals. The whole process of
relatively unmanaged distribution of goods and services seems to
have resulted in propagating dishonesty. According to the community
leaders, the members of the community tend to make false claims
to get more.
A sense of fear has crept into many. The frightening experiences
of the tsunami have made some of the affected live in fear. This
in turn has affected the fishing industry more than any other, as
some fishermen are reluctant to go fishing due to a fear of the
sea. Some of these fishermen are in a confused state, which is not
in keeping with the personality of a fisherman. Hence they try to
justify their attitude by referring to the assistance they have
received from charitable organisations.
Jealousy
between the communities has gone beyond brotherhood or social relationships
that they had prior to the tsunami. A typical comment made by a
leader in the south explains this point. “They didn't get
proper assistance because they are living within the 100-metres.
Those who are living away got one to one and a half lakhs from the
government. Then a foreigner gave another lakh each and then private
companies gave two lakhs each. See the total they got! Then the
foreigners came round and gave other goodies -- an almirah, a TV,
a set of chairs, a dining table, a cassette, two beds, two mattresses,
a gas cooker and a cylinder. Even after having a gas cylinder they
took the one that the foreigners gave too. The goods were worth
85,000 rupees. They were also given cement, bricks and stones. But
others are yet living in tents because of the 100m rule.”
Greed
seems to be the key value change since the tsunami. Members of the
community have become greedy and selfish. The evolved behaviour
is such that some of the members are collecting and working towards
getting all the assistance from the state, NGOs or other sectors.
To do so they are willing to carryout somewhat unfair or dishonest
practices.
The
difficulties that communities have gone through seem to have changed
the public life of individuals. The mechanisms used to get assistance
have made the tsunami-affected people, especially women, to be less
self conscious. Hence certain social barriers have been broken where
some youth seem to be comfortable whilst others find it difficult
to adjust to the changed behavioural pattern.
Looking
back on the initial relief operations, the community leaders were
positive about the timing and the manner in which food was provided.
Though some leaders have experienced food shortages, by and large
they accepted that the best was done under the circumstances.
The
distribution of clothes was well received by the leaders and there
were many instances where women were able to protect their self-respect.
However, subsequent over-supply of clothes had created a certain
unpleasantness where a 'refugee feeling' hadcrept in through receiving
non-wearable clothes. The leaders were thankful to some NGOs for
their untiring commitment to uplifting the livelihood of the community
and consistent support to date.-
D. C. Ranatunga
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