It is estimated that almost 16,500 people died in India as a result of the 2004 tsunami.  Among the countries affected by the tsunami, India has the third largest death toll, following Sri Lanka (38,195) and Indonesia (126,915). 

I recently asked my friends Ardhendu and Anuradha to share their impressions of the relief and recovery efforts in India.  They indicate that the recovery effort "is a repetition of the same old story — there has been little rehabilitation work there although funds have flown into the state coffers. Both in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands -— the  entire situation is in turmoil. In Tamil Nadu there have been severe rains and flood. People residing in the relief camps are in a dire situation."

Kumar, who is another of my Interent friends from India, has similar observations.  He says:

The unfortunate situation that Kumar describes above is not limited to the money that was donated by the people of India.  A recent study by Britain’s Disasters and Emergencies Committee (DEC) determined that nearly two-thirds of money collected in the UK has yet to reach tsunami victims.  The report indicates that tens of thousands of people are still living in tents or unsafe shelters in affected areas despite the availability of substantial resources.  (full article)

Tamil Nadu, which had the highest casualty count of all Indian states, continues to feel the effects of the 2004 disaster. Class and gender are often dictate the extent to which victims must suffer.  A recent Yemen Times article provides a glimpse of the role that gender plays in India’s recovery:

Despite the scale upon which contributions were collected for tsunami aid, even basic rations and supplies are scarce in affected areas within India.  As recently as December 17, 2005, 42 people were killed in a stampede at the Chennai flood relief camp in Tamil Nadu:
   
From India Times/The Times Foundation:

The harsh realities of post-tsunami India have made the antagonisms wrought by years and years of injustice all the more apparent.  Colonial rule, neo-colonialism, civil strife, corruption and militarism have left little resources in the hands of the people of India.

The people of India — whether they are in the tsunami-affected areas or in cities like Kolkata, New Delhi or Mumbai — deserve a better life. Some years ago, Vinod Mishra penned a work entitled "India of My Dreams" in which he described his vision for the full potential of the people of India. I hope that one day the people of India might realize Mishra’s dreams and make his vision a reality. Many years from now, perhaps I can visit my friends there and share a bit of their dream.