[Reader-list] Amusement… But not for everybody!!!

[Anivar Aravind]

Paper Presented by Sumesh Mangalassery , an Expert panel Member on 
Tourism on peoples tribunal on tsunami Rehabilitation in Chennai 
December 21-22 December 2007

Amusement… But not for everybody!!!
An analysis on Post Tsunami Tourism Developments in Tamil Nadu
http://voicesfromthemargins.com/node/29

Sumesh Mangalassery

The December 2004 tsunami has triggered many conflicts and 
contradictions regarding the use of resources and setting of priorities 
in the coastal areas. Tsunami also has triggered a lot of conflicts and 
contradictions to be based on the access to the resources such as sea, 
land, water and sharing of benefits. In tourism areas these conflicts 
are more evident and rigorous.

After 3 years of tsunami, the current developments in the coastal areas 
are questioning the survival of fishermen communities. Someone could 
observe from the testimonies presented here in the People’s tribunal 
that the basic survivals of the fishing communities are at stake due to 
the pressure over their resources. At any stage of rehabilitation and 
reconstruction process, the customary rights of the fishing community 
over coastal land, sea and their resources were not recognized and 
discussed. This subject has been considerably neglected in the whole 
process and debates.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, the still-traumatised residents were 
pressurised to leave the coastline to “safer’’ places with the promise 
that they will be given new homes. The government machinery went on a 
drive to collect signatures that fishermen and other communities were 
willing to shift.

Role of International Financial Institutions and tourism

Coastal tourism development and activities in Tamil Nadu are triggering 
these conflicts. In the process of tsunami rehabilitation and 
reconstruction availability of land was very limited. In the East Coast 
Road (ECR) especially from Chennai to Mahabalipuram these clashes are 
more rigorous and visible because of the development of tourism and 
other infrastructure. The land value has shoot up and plenty of IT 
parks, hotels, resorts and amusement parks, which have been established 
on both sides of the highway. The occupational and livelihood space of 
the fisher folk has been replaced as recreational space for the upper 
middle class of the society.

The interests of communities have been significantly sidelined in the 
reconstruction and rehabilitation process. The government of Tamil Nadu 
and International Financial Institutions (IFI) like Asian development 
Bank (ADB) and World Bank who financed this project claiming that this 
road brought development and many employment opportunities to this 
region. But at the same time the involvement of fishing community in 
these so called developments is minimal or totally lacking. They are 
totally marginalized in this development process. And their access to to 
the resources is considerably denied. It is also noted that this highway 
is increased the vulnerability of the communities towards natural and 
man made disasters. It was very visible during the flood situation last 
year.

The negative impacts of tourism such as environmental degradation, sex 
tourism and child abuse are rampant in these areas. The Women and Child 
Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury said in a written reply in 
Parliament that studies conducted by the National Human Rights 
Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) shows that in 
the name of pilgrim, heritage and coastal tourism, sexual exploitation 
of children is quite widespread in Tamil Nadu(Source : Sify news – 14th 
Oct. 2007).

Now government is decided to expand the East Coast highway from 
Pondicheri to Kanyakumari with the support of World Bank. Earlier, the 
East coast Road from Chennai to Cuddalore for 166 Km via Pondhichery was 
improved to two-lane facility with Asian Development Bank loan of US $ 
24.47 million in 1993-98.This new project is a part of ECR from Chennai 
to Kanyakumari for 732 km. The WB approved a US $ 348 million loan to 
help improve the quality, capacity and safety of the road network in the 
south Indian state of TN (WB press release no. 2003/426/SAR). Part of 
this expansion is presented as a post tsunami reconstruction activity by 
government.

Government and IFIs should properly analyse the impact of these 
development projects to the fishing communities and conduct a socio 
economic analysis before expanding this highway to other coastal 
regions. Fisher people fear that this expansion will extend these 
conflicts and contradictions to other areas too. It is important to see 
that the government is not keen to organise any consultation process 
with communities. The first phase of the project it self was strongly 
opposed by the communities.

Coastal Tourism

The Policy note of Tourism 2005 – 06 by Tamil Nadu tourism department 
clearly shows the intention of the government to bring private 
investment to the coastal area. Setting up of amusement parks and other 
facilities with private participation in the coastline has been outlined 
as strategy for tourism development.

In the post tsunami livelihood restoration plan, eco - tourism is one of 
the top options among the plans. The government and international 
agencies like Asian Development Bank, World Bank and industry body like 
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) identified tourism is one of the 
alternative livelihood options for coastal communities.

People of Srinivasapuram near the posh Marina Beach in Chennai where the 
tsunami claimed maximum number of victims in the city, are facing an 
eviction in the name of Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (CRZ) 1991. 
After the tsunami they received an eviction order despite a stay from 
Madras High Court against any such move. It is reported that authorities 
want to develop tourism facilities here to woo tourists.
At the same time right on the Adyar creek (hardly 50 mt from 
Srinivasapuram), a luxury hotel is being built. If the Coastal 
Regulation Zone is not applicable to the hotel, one wonders why the 
fishermen with their traditional right to the land are being evicted. 
The condition in the CRZ that those involved in customary trades (such 
as fishing) could continue within the 500-mt mark is being ignored. In 
the tribunal many people pointed out that the fund for tsunami 
reconstruction and rehabilitation has been misused by authorities for 
tourism development.

Role of forest department and coast guard

It is interesting to know that many of the coastal conservation 
activities being undertaken by the forest department. Report says that 
the firewood collection of fisher folk in many areas has been prevented 
by the forest department. The coast guard is also showing some new 
interests in terms of protecting the coast .These new interest clearly 
shows that the pressure over resources are high and many agencies and 
interests are claiming their stake. In this context it is very important 
for the fisher folk to assert their customary right over coastal land 
and their resources.
Double Standards

One hand state government is trying to woo private investments to the 
coast. On the other hand they had given clear guidelines to the 
communities on the reconstruction of houses and other facilities, that 
indicates that all reconstruction should take place over 200 meters from 
the sea. The people living on the coast suspect the land within that 200 
meter zone is being kept for big hotels and private investors. The 
government is strategically preventing those fishing families who wish 
to rebuild their homes on the coast, in the name of (potential) future 
natural disasters; at the same time, it’s encouraging the opening of 
both new and rebuilt beachfront tourist hotels and other tourist facilities.

The new policies introducing related to coast is also detrimental to the 
interests of the coastal communities. The draft Coastal Zone Management 
Plan concept note 2007 by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) 
does not acknowledge the traditional and customary rights of fishing 
communities in the coastal zone. At the same time it suggests many 
exemptions for industries like tourism in the coast. Fishing community 
is arguing that MOEF is trying to undermine the existing Coastal 
Regulation Zone notification 1991 with the new proposed Coastal Zone 
Management Plan (CZMP) to help tourism and protect the interests of 
tourism lobby.

Here it is very clear that in the name of a human tragedy many of the 
planned liberalization proposals will be revived and implemented with 
little dialogue and debate. This shows government’s double standards 
towards industry and communities even in the days of their crisis. State 
is justifying this injustice in the name of safety and rehabilitation. 
Coastal communities are preparing to face natural disasters but they are 
definitely not prepared to face a man made disaster like mass tourism!!!

-ENDs-
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(Paper presented in the expert panel presentation in People’s Tribunal 
on Tsunami rehabilitation after 3 years on 21 – 22nd December 2007, 
ICSA, Chennai organized by Voices from The Margins)
Sumesh Mangalassery is a tourism researcher and an active member of the 
voluntary initiative KABANI, the other direction, working in tourism 
issues. He can be contacted at sumeshmang at yahoo.com OR www.kabani.org