Tsunami anniversary: Flood of tears on Tamil Nadu coast

At Kottilpadu coastal village near Colachel in Kanniyakumari district, people belonging to the fishing community took out a rally in the village. They gathered at the memorial stupa, constructed for 199 people who had lost their lives in the tsunami, to pay homage. 

Special prayers were held at the memorial. Later, they poured pots of milk into the sea and paid floral tributes. Many families who had lost their kin to the giant waves were grief-stricken when they looked at the sea. “She looks so calm today. But, 13 years ago, at the same time, we were caught unaware by her ferocity. Within a few seconds, our children and several families were buried in the sands. We still shudder when we think of those moments,” said a family which had lost its kin to the disaster. “We pray that such a disaster should never occur again,” they added. 

At Kanniyakumari, District Collector Sajjan Singh R Chavan paid floral tributes to the victims at the tsunami memorial. Similar events commemorating the victims were conducted at Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. 

At Idinthakarai, people took out a procession towards the sea, poured milk and paid floral tributes. At Thoothukudi, fishermen of Trespuram fishing hamlet lighted candles and offered special prayers.

Floral tributes were paid in memory of those who perished in the tsunami, in Puducherry on Tuesday. Puducherry Speaker V Vaithilingam, Welfare minister M Kandasamy, Legislators K Lakshminarayanan and Anbazhagan, National Fisherfolk Forum (NFF) Chairperson M Illango were among others who paid the floral tribute in sea behind the Gandhi statue. 

Several fishermen leaders took part in an event at Ariuankuppam and paid homage by pouring milk into the sea. Homage was paid at Kalapet, Kanagachettikkulam and Moorthikuppam. Minister Kandasamy said that plans are afoot to build a tsunami memorial next year, near the Kargil Memorial on the beach. 

Tsumani struck the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, on December 26, 2004, in which a large number of people had lost their lives in Tamil Nadu and properties worth several thousands of crore were damaged. The scale of damage by the giant wave was so extensive, that it still remains fresh in the minds of people living in coastal areas.