Migrants face eviction after tsunami

By Ethirajan Anbarasan
BBC News, Car Nicobar

The sea has submerged thousands of acres of land

Traders and labourers from the Indian mainland have been asked to leave Car Nicobar island on the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago following the recent tsunami.

The move comes because of fears there is not enough land for everyone in the aftermath of the disaster.

Indian law prohibits anyone other than ethnic Nicobarese tribes from entering or living on the island.

Car Nicobar belongs to the Nicobarese tribe. Outsiders cannot settle down here Thomas Philip, tribal leader

December's tsunami devastated this remote, peaceful island: officials say more than 800 people were killed and 540 are still missing.

Seawater has risen by almost two metres submerging thousands of acres of cultivable land along the coast.

Double tragedy

Thousands of mainland businessmen and migrant labourers living here for decades will now have to leave if there is no change in the situation.

"I was born and grew up here. The tsunami destroyed my shop and house," says P Nagendran, a 27-year-old businessman from the Lapathi area of Car Nicobar.

Many of the mainlanders are traders

"I was badly injured and lucky enough to survive. But now I have been asked by the officials to leave the island."

Though his father has been a government employee in Car Nicobar for more than 32 years, Mr Nagendran cannot obtain resident status because of the special law.

The government says it needs the law to protect the indigenous Nicobarese tribes from any outside influence.

Mainlanders say over the years thousands have come and settled on the island either with or without the knowledge of the Indian government.

Some extended their stay after the expiry of their temporary permits.

"At some point the local government issued temporary passes for us to stay here," says Mr Sathaiah, who runs a grocery store in Car Nicobar.

"But they stopped renewing them a few years ago."

Local demand

The powerful local tribal council, consisting of representatives from all the 15 tribal villages in the island, have also demanded the government send back mainlanders or outsiders.

"Car Nicobar belongs to the Nicobarese tribe. Outsiders cannot settle down here," says Thomas Philip, a tribal leader.

Uprooting us all of a sudden from this place is worse than the tsunami P Nagendran, businessman

He also points out that many mainland businessmen and fishermen had registered their shops in the names of local tribals as the law does not permit outsiders to start or own businesses in Car Nicobar.

This poses another problem for the traders and fishing vessel owners from outside.

They cannot rightfully claim any tsunami compensation from the Indian government as the money would go to those Nicobarese officially registered with the government.

Though relations between the Nicobarese and the mainlanders have been cordial over the years, mainland traders say the situation has changed following the tsunami.

"Naturally those concerned tribals are in a win-win situation as they will get the compensation as well as our businesses," says Mr Nagendran.

Stand-off

But officials admit their options are limited.

Administrator A Anbarasu says options are limited

"We are looking at the problem in a humanitarian way," says A Anbarasu, the chief administrator of Car Nicobar district.

"But mainlanders will have to leave as the tribals have demanded."

Mr Philip, the tribal leader, says: "The island belongs to us. We do not want any outsiders other than the government officials who are serving here."

The mainlanders are urging the government to be more lenient and compassionate.

"We have been living here for decades with the knowledge of the Indian government. If they had told us earlier, we would have thought about other options.

"Uprooting us all of a sudden from this place is worse than the tsunami," says Mr Nagendran.