VOL: 35 n ISSUE: 21 n FRIDAY n 09 DECEMBER 2011 PORT BLAIR n Rs. 5.00 n PAGES 8 n RNI No. 28480/75

POSTAL REGN NO. PBLRNP/08/2008-2010www.lightofandamans.blogspot.com

Even after seven years of the disastrous earthquake and tsunami, the pace of the Directorate ofDisaster Management is ordinary with obstacles at every turn, and is supposed to switch to

disaster-mode in the event of a calamity. Equipped with an excellent Disaster Management Plan,the Directorate is facing severe resource crunch - man, material and machinery.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT:NOT ON DISASTER-MODE

Take to the Streetsfor Common Man

Stop Issuing Bar Licences: BJP

Discourses on Island History

Shakil Ahmed Urges CongressmenCongress Political Conference

2 |loa|FEATURES THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

BYSTAFFREPORTER

In a colloquium on Andamanhistory organised at NationalMemorial Cellular Jail on 9th

December, historians and acade-micians from United Kingdom,Germany and ANI working on dif-ferent aspects presented a wideperspective of their study.

Speaking on the occasion, ProfClaire Anderson, University ofLeicester, UK who has been a fre-quent visitor to these Islandsinformed the small gatheringabout her work on the AngloIndians of the Islands. She hasbeen working on the history,anthropology of the Islands andsociological insights. She said thather study divides the Anglo Indianinto three categories - AngloIndian Convicts, DevelopmentalSchemes and post independenceera. She observed that this com-munity were very important forthe success of British colony in theIslands. In 1858, Eurasians camefrom Calcutta and Madras on tick-ets of leave to work with differentskills. They were also employed asoverseers. Many of themremained in the Islands andworked here for more than 20years. Her work took her to vari-ous archives throughout theworld - Amsterdam, Manila andCeylon. She said that there wasclose mixing of the British and theAnglo Indians in the Islands andthe composition of Anglo Indiansand British during the penal set-tlement was matter of interest.There were about 71 AngloIndians and about 240 Europeansin the Settlement.

Prof Claire Anderson's presentstudy is about the integrated his-tories of Andaman Islands. It aimsto bring into focus the story of thecomplex multi-cultural societyencompassed within its territorialbounds. Situated along the sea

routes to Southeast Asia, theIslands have long attracted awhole range of people includingtraders, pirates, colonizers, andsettlers from various parts ofIndia, Burma, and Malaysia. TheBritish settled the Islands perma-nently as a penal colony in 1858,displacing their indigenous peo-ples to devastating effect, andtransported tens of thousands ofconvicts there through to the1920s. They worked on a range ofdevelopmental projects. TheBritish also shipped so-called'criminal tribes' , other forcedmigrants, and anti-colonial'rebels' to the Islands, andemployed them in various 'reha-bilitation' schemes and in forestlabour. Although the Islandsacquired notoriety under theBritish colonial regime, the stig-ma attached to them perhapswore off sooner than expected. Inthe aftermath of IndianIndependence and Partition,refugees fleeing the communalviolence that broke out in the sub-continent readily agreed to berehabilitated into a region theyhad hitherto feared. Indeed, theycame to make their homes in aplace they perceived to be free ofthe social hierarchies, prejudices,and conflicts of mainland India.This project seeks to bring togeth-er the investigators' previousresearch - on indigenous peoples(known locally as 'tribals'), Indianconvicts, and Bengali refugees -with a new series of historicalstudies of the lives and experi-ences of convict descendents(known as 'local-born') and threegroups of forced migrant settlers:First, the so-called Bhantu 'crimi-nal tribes' from north India; sec-ond, Karen and Ranchi forestlabourers from Burma and Indiarespectively; and, third, Mopilla'rebel' deportees from south India.

Dr Frank Heidemann, SocialAnthropologist from University ofMunich is doing his researchamong the Ceylon TamilRepatriates in Tamil Nadu andthis led him to Andaman Islandswhere a small settlement of SriLankan Repatriates exists inKatchal and Little Andaman.About 70 families preferred to set-tle in Andamans in 1974. InKatchal there are about 48 fami-lies and 22 families in LittleAndaman. The community hasvery well amalgamated into theTamil community and there areno clear cut boundaries to distin-guish them. However, he said thatthey have certain constraints liketheir Ceylon background some-times create problems for them.The Sri Lankan Repatriates inthese Islands have not prosperedsocio-economically, felt ProfHeidemann.

Speaking about his work aboutContemporary Negotiations ofthe Colonial Legacy in AndamanIslands, Philipp Zehmisch,Munich University said thatCellular Jail can be called theUniversity of IndianIndependence Movement. Hesaid that the representation of thelocal population is not to be seenanywhere. He felt that in theshadows of Cellular Jail, Chathamand Viper Islands have lost theirplace and significance. The mostconstant features of the Andamansociety over the last 150 yearshave been consistent growth inpopulation and increasing socialcomplexity. Different culturallyhybrid and creolized communi-ties manifested due to a variety ofhistorical migration processesand (post)colonial social engi-neering policies. State-directedconvict transportation, the settle-ment of refugees, repatriates andlandless people under coloniza-

tion and rehabilitation schemes,as well as independent,autonomous migrations oflabourers, traders, soldiers andgovernment servants in the 19th,20th and 21st centuries, havegiven shape to a distinct islandsociety, called Mini-India. Thiswidely used local synonym indi-cates that the multi-ethnic andreligiously diverse population ofAndaman migrants depicts thediversity of the Indian subconti-nent.

The coexistence of several(re)constructed overseas commu-nities, the indigenous people andthe administrative staff frommainland India, must be seen as adynamic process of constantnegotiations of identity, status,privileges, rights and duties.Political competition for recogni-tion by the state and access to itssinecures, for example throughquota reservation, caused reifica-tions of group identity with refer-ence to the history of migration.Here, it is the present and thefuture that are at stake, but argu-ments are usually located in thepast. Group rights, identificationsand senses of belonging are linkedto the place of origin, birth andthe period of settlement in theislands.

In the Andamans, immaterialas well as material objects gain ahistorical dimension in publicdebates through their appropria-tion, reinterpretation or evendestruction. The notion of historyengenders ideas and objects andgains a specific quality in a ratheryoung social system. In demoticand dominant discourses of thepast, words and objects are usedto manifest claims and to reinter-pret rituals and bodily practices.History is a process in the making,and a field of contested interpre-tation. Discourses of history are

Discourses on Island HistoryA colloquium on Island history by researchers from abroad and Islands brings forthvarious aspects of the history of the colonial and contemporary Andamans.

made manifest in the names ofgroups and places; their imprintscan be found in maps, texts, lawsand regulations, as well as in thelayout of public spaces, in statuesand other monuments.Moreover, not only official, hege-monic versions of history matter,but also contesting, and oftensilenced, subaltern voices. Fromthis perspective, a hereditaryoccupation of an individual, or asettlement of a minority groupnext to a creek, stands for an idio-syncratic or emic view of history.Such histories become manifestthrough the ascription of mean-ing in the here and now.

The many views of the past areexpressed and found in a varietyof manifestations. Administrativecategories of settlement such as"pre-42", "settlers" and "ten-yearsof continuous education", whichindicate the duration of stay, turnout to be highly politicized vehi-cles for social mobility among thecommunities. Japanese bunkersnot only embody the bygonestrength and endurance of theAxis powers, they have alsoturned into objects of local mythsthat are spun around mysterioushoards of gold supposedly buriedunderneath them. The CellularJail, a symbol of colonial oppres-sion, martyrdom and sacrifice in'kala pani', has been transformedinto a contemporary nationalicon and an attraction for domes-tic tourists. Moreover, the reset-tled Ranchi village Birsanagar hasbeen named after the Adivasifreedom fighter Birsa Munda.This very process of historiciza-tion is the focus his study.

Prof Francis Xavier, JNRM pre-sented a paper on the HistoricalPerspective on the StrategicImportance of Andaman andNicobar Islands. From Ancientperiod to the recent Chineseincursions to Andaman waters,he said that the Islands had beena launchpad for defence purposessince long.

Dr. Rasheeda Iqbal read from apaper on the Role of Cellular Jailin India's Freedom Struggle.Zubair Ahmed, Editor , The Lightof Andamans made a small pres-entation on the History ofMoplahs in the Islands. Therewas a group discussion too on thesubjects presented by the speak-ers.

The programme commencedwith the welcome address by DrRasheeda Iqbal and concludedwith the vote of thanks by ProfClaire Anderson.

3 |city|NEWS THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

BYSTAFFREPORTER

Sonia Gandhi has called uponparty men in Congress-ruledstates to raise their voices for

basic issues of the common manlike they do in opposition-ruledstates and take to the streets ifneed be," urged Shakil Ahmed,General Secretary, AICC to thegathering at the 7th PoliticalConference of Pradesh CongressCommittee held at ITF Ground on11th December. He madescathing attack on the oppositionBJP for its divisive politics and onthe Anna Hazare Movement asbeing sponsored by the RSS. Hewas equally critical of BabaRamdev for his ties with BJP. Hewarned his party men to be waryof the rumours being percolatedby the fundamentalist forces andconcentrate on propagating thevarious welfare measures adopt-ed by the UPA government. Dr.Shakeel Ahmed, member CWCand General Secretary, AICC wasthe Chief Guest.

The Seventh PoliticalConference of Pradesh CongressCommittee, also passed three res-olutions - organizational matters,political and economic.

In the political resolution, theparty demanded a LegislativeAssembly for the Islands on thelines of Arunachal Pradesh andPuducherry. The party felt it veryunfortunate that all the decisionsare taken by one man. The resolu-tion said that with the abolition ofPradesh Parishad, an advisorybody, all doors for a democraticsetup in these Islands had beenclosed. It also demanded onenominated seat in Rajya Sabhafor the Islands.

The Conference resolved tostrengthen the party by enrollingnew members and improving therelationship of party workers withPRIs and by adhering to the poli-cies of the party. The conferencedemanded to fill the vacant postswithout delay to cope up with theproblem of educated unemploy-ment among the youth. In its eco-nomic resolution, it demanded aseparate shipping corporation forthe Islands and a full fledged shiprepairing dockyard. It asked thegovernment for creation of sepa-rate UT cadre in Civil Service andPolice Service for the Islands. Itdemanded upward revision ofminimum wages of MGNREGA.The resolution also sought exten-sion of Inland Vessel Water Limits

in ANI. Regularisation of servicesof all government servants requir-ing UPSC clearance was alsoraised by the party.

Speaking on the occasion thechief guest spoke on length aboutthe strategy of his party withregards to Andaman & NicobarIslands. He spelled out the mes-sage of Sonia Gandhi, PresidentAICC and congratulated thePradesh Congress Committee fororganizing the conference. Heshared his experiences in hiscapacity as MoS(Communications) during his lastvisit immediately after theTsunami along with SriprakashJaiswal, MoS (Home) and MukulVasnik for restoration of commu-nication network and participat-ing in the relief works on theinstruction of the Prime minister.He appreciated the large turn outof supporters of the Party espe-cially the women members andsaid - 'According to Sonia Gandhi,no organisation can be strongwithout the active participation ofwomen members in it".Addressing the issues raised by

the local level leaders in the polit-ical, economic and organizationalresolution adopted in the confer-ence, he assured them of taking itup in the meeting scheduled laterin the evening with the Lt.Governor and with concernedministries on his return to Delhi.

In his address R.C. Khuntia,Secretary, AICC, the guest of hon-our, spoke on length about vari-ous issues raised in the resolu-tions adopted in the conference.He said that the party workersshould work united for securingthe Lok Sabha seat in the nextgeneral elections and then theparty will work towards realizingthe dream of a legislative assem-bly for the islands.

Kuldeep Rai Sharma,President, Pradesh CongressCommittee welcoming the digni-taries spelt out the grievancesplaguing the common Islanders.He stressed on the need for aLegislative Assembly on the linesof Puducherry or ArunachalPradesh. He further spoke on theimmediate release of relief pack-age for the Tsunami-affected

farmers of South Andaman, sta-tus of Ranchi community, unem-ployment issues and setting up ofIT industry, increase in quota ofMBBS seats, encroachment regu-larization, better connectivity, sta-tus of Tribal Council, mainstream-ing of the indigenous tribe andseveral other issues. He requestedthe Chief Guest to take up theseissues with the Central Ministries.He gave a detailed account of thesuccess of the Congress party ingoing alone in the local bodies'elections this time and securingthe Zilla Parishad of South as wellas North & Middle Andamanalong with the Port BlairMunicipal Council from opposi-tion rule.

Mohammed Ali, GeneralSecretary, PCC secretary spoke onthe present political scenario ofthe Islands. Condolence resolu-tion was presented by seniorleader V.Giri followed by oneminute silence for all the departedleaders of Party since the lastpolitical conference. EconomicResolution was presented byParitosh Halder, Vice President,

PCC. Political Resolution was pre-sented by M.Z. Siddique, GeneralSecretary, PCC. OrganisationalMatters Resolution was presentedby Ranglal Halder, President,District Congress Committee,N&M Andamans District.

The conference commencedwith a baton rally flagged off bythe Chief Guest from the NationalMemorial Cellular Jail at 9.30 am.A condolence ceremony was heldat the premises of ITF groundwhere floral tributes were paid tothe departed senior leaders andpioneers of the Congress Party.The Congress party flag washoisted at the venue and guard ofhonour was given to the ChiefGuest by the volunteers ofCongress Seva Dal. Prizes weredistributed to winners of RajivGandhi Football memorial tour-nament organized by BlockCongress committee, Ferrargunjby the chief guest. A souvenir wasalso released on the occasion.Vote of thanks was proposed byP.Prasad, Adhyaksh, ZillaParishad, N&M AndamanDistrict.

Take to the Streets for Common Man:Shakil Ahmed Urges Congressmen

In the political resolution, the party demanded has a Legislative Assemblyfor the Islands on the lines of Arunachal Pradesh and Puducherry. The partyfelt it very unfortunate that all the decisions are taken by one man. The res-olution said that with the abolition of Pradesh Parishad, an advisory body,all doors for a democratic setup in these Islands has been closed. It alsodemanded one nominated seat in Rajya Sabha for the Islands.

4 |cover|STORY THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

BYZUBAIRAHMED

The year 2004 and the monthDecember will remainetched in the memory of the

Islanders for centuries to come. Adisaster of that magnitude wasbeyond their apprehension. Theyare quite often told that theIslands learnt a very different andunusual lesson from that experi-ence, which nobody would like toexperience once again to learnfrom it. They learnt what a tsuna-mi is. They also learnt what disas-ter mismanagement is and howand why not to be complacentand placid in disaster prepared-ness.

When that massive earthquakeand the gigantic tsunami waveshit the islands on December 26,2004, every individual responsi-ble to act in the crisis was at hiswits end; right from the AssistantCommissioner in Campbell Bay to

the Chief Secretary in Port Blair.The Administration was in a stateof paralysis till afternoon. Nobodycan blame anybody as the eventwas unprecedented one andnobody had a clue how to react orrespond to it.

That was seven years ago. In themeantime, a very large body ofwork has been done and hugesums of money spent on DisasterMitigation, Relief andRehabilitation. After a good fouryears, in 2008 under DisasterManagement Act 2005, theAdministration formed a separateDirectorate.

Unfortunately, even after threeyears of its formation, theDirectorate is still on life supportgasping for resources - it seriouslylacks man, machinery and mate-rials. The Administration expectsall line departments to shift intodisaster mode in case of any even-tuality, when the process of equip-

ping the Directorate is still inbabudom-mode. Privately every-body agrees that in the event of adisaster of half the intensity of2004, the Disaster ManagementAuthorities would be caught nap-ping again. The core issue is thatred-tapism and the usual bureau-cratic snares are pulling back theprocess of setting up a fool-proofDirectorate on fast track mode.Lest we forget that disasters neverwait for us to get prepared at ourown convenience.

The Directorate is headed byAshok Kumar Sharma, in a divert-ed capacity from IndustriesDepartment. All of his lieutenantsare also on deputation from vari-ous departments. The proposalfor 128 posts has been clipped byMHA with only 36 core postsapproved, which is yet to materi-alize. All the staffs manning thecontrol room are presently oncontract, a very unreliable and

disastrous proposition. Trainingand equipping the contract staffmight not be of much assistanceto the directorate.

The basic communication net-work connecting the 35 dispersedIslands is not in place. In worstcase scenario the land based com-munication network like tele-phone and mobile services fail.Even if the mobile communica-tion works, the landline fails.Mobile service is jammed due tocongestion. The procurement ofsatellite communication equip-ments is still under process.Procuring and usage of latestcommunication devices needsprompt approval from variousagencies. 'We are unable to useIridium network and will have torely on the old Inmarsat,"informed an official.

The Directorate doesn't havevehicles of their own. A fewscrapped jeeps abandoned by

NGOs are being used by theDirectorate. "There is a ban onvehicle procurement, but we willpursue the matter seriously,"Abraham Varickamakkal,Secretary, RR had said during aninteraction at DDM conferencehall.

There is lack of sufficient dataabout the vulnerable coastal areasprone to tsunami, which requiresdigital alleviation modeling withone-metre contour survey.Central government departmentslike Geological Survey of India toodo not have the latest data withthem. The Directorate is trying toget support from Ministry of EarthSciences.

The mandate of the Directorateis capacity building, training andcreating awareness with empha-sis on preparedness. Everydepartment should have theirStandard Operating Procedures(SOP) ready. It is learnt that most

Even after seven years of the disastrous earthquake andtsunami, the pace of the Directorate of DisasterManagement is ordinary with obstacles at every turn,and is supposed to switch to disaster-mode in the eventof a calamity. Equipped with an excellent DisasterManagement Plan, the Directorate is facing severeresource crunch - man, material and machinery.

Disaster Management:NOT ON DISASTER-MODE

5 |cover|STORY THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

Game ChangersPAUPER’S LOG |ABU ARSH

All over the world peoplewith special set of skills,intelligence and knowledge

have contributed for bettermentof the inhabitants of this world.Irrespective of our diverse identi-ties, cultures and languages wehave all stood in awe of the greatideas floated by these individu-als. Majority of us have alwaysfelt why we didn't think aboutthose ideas and concepts beforeit was presented by futurethinkers or great talismans. Asimple Swiss knife to the supercomputers, a fountain pen toouter space sta-tion, from microcredit to corebanking, fromsmall ghettobased move-ments to majoruprisings, fromradio to internet,non-cooperationmovement tocommunity serv-ice and a lotmore. Gamechangers haveserved humanity well and woulddo so till eternity.

Concepts and ideas are galorein this world. There's another cat-egory of great game changerswho ape the real men, only dif-ference being self before the fol-lowers. These people are themasters of a fool's paradise andgive us a dream of being in aPotemkin village. People aregiven a rosy picture of a futurewhere everything will be perfectto the T. Our messiahs becomecult figures and we with highhopes and aspirations becomeardent followers. They come upwith promises, noble conceptsfor our betterment and are everready to fight for our rights.Followers are made to believethe messiahs are dedicated toour cause more than their veryown personal lives.

Andaman and Nicobar Islandsare an ideal destination of theseconmen. Rule of people is onpaper. Unconcerned anddetached officers call the shots.Semblance of democracy is notthere. Facilities are wanting.Voices are stifled. 'Sab chatla hai'is the mantra till the day it hap-pens to one of us, when we lookfor non existent support from ourfellow brethren. Natwarlal's andBunty's are found in every streetcorner waiting to raise theirpitches on our predicament. In aflash we become great followersof them. As the numbers of dis-gruntled followers rise, so doesthe stature and bargaining

power of our messiahs.The year 2004 has been a land-

mark year in this regard and no.of messiahs has quadrupledsince then. Some of them haveduped us with Tsunami assis-tance and sold our misfortune toamass personal wealth andacclaim both national and inter-national before disappearinginto thin air. Search the internetand find them being globalambassadors of peace, greatinnovators and ideal world citi-zens rubbing shoulders with theelite of this world. Ask a common

hawker, a petty trad-er or a small timecontractor; the out-standing dues thesegreats owe them. Askthe followers of thesegreats about themovement and mis-sions they startedand how it fizzledout.

Conmen are stillaround with theirbagful of tricks divid-ing communities on

religious, caste and languagelines. Self promotion is their hallmark. They are masters of dis-guise and would conceal theirundoing in a swipe of a few sweetwords. Meetings and sympo-siums are organized to weed outcorruption, provide a level play-ing field, enhance our skills, cre-ate avenues for self employment,assure our livelihood, give ourkids a better education, provideus the basic amenities and fightfor our rights. We the peoplehave failed to realize that being apawn in the hands of these bro-kers will not solve any of ourproblems but rather compoundit. It's futile to be in awe of anyindividual whose sole purpose isto be a news maker and procurerecognition at the cost of theoppressed. The more vigilantand vocal we are, the more weare safe from the clutches ofthese game changers. Each indi-vidual is capable of fighting forhis rights if he is on a righteouspath and his demands are gen-uine. Like minded individualswill follow and join them in theircrusade. Our society had thesetraits in the past and these wouldbe rekindled in no time providedwe have the zeal and confidenceto fight for our rights. Service tocommunity cannot be a vocationbut a mission. Missions becomegreat movements and have over-thrown big empires, historybears testimony to it. Letsbecome game changers ratherthan followers of conmen.

The Mahila Morcha ofBharatiya Janata Party hassent a letter to the Lieutenant

Governor protesting indiscrimi-nate issuance of bar licences in theIslands.

Anusia Devi, State President,Mahila Morcha wrote to the the LtGovernor, The Chief Secretaryand the Dy Commissioner (SA),wherein she has stated that veryoften the people of these Islandsgo through the news of accidentsdue to alcoholism. People, espe-cially the married womenfolk arethe sufferers with many familiesbecoming destitute and losinghappiness when their earningmembers or any other memberbecomes alcoholic. Local womanand media like Echo of India,Andaman Sheekha, AndamanChronicle and The Light ofAndamans etc have already raisedthis issue but the Administrationis still going on issuing fresh barlicenses. This will not be out ofpoint to mention here that thelocal media have written thatthese Islands may be called a barcity and the Party join hands withall such media personnel and

affected families of these islandswho are against alcoholism inthese Islands.

As per the information, about30 to 35% of all mortalities in GBPant Hospital are due to alcoholconsumption and its complica-tions and about 50% of all mortal-ities in these Islands are due toalcohol. Some Bars running inresidential and market areas alsoaffect the residents of the area andpeople visiting market places.Very recently a local news paperhad brought the uneasiness of thepublic in the market place, on itsfront page. In many cases, thewomen folk are disturbed andunable to come out of their hous-es. There is no check on eitherissuing licenses or renewals and asa result, bars are mushrooming inevery nook and corner of theIslands.

To save the valuable lives, earn-ings of poor people, peaceful lifeand security to women and chil-dren folks the Party demands tostop issuing of any further barlicenses. The Party at the sametime demands that renewal of barlicense may be stopped except in

the case of star hotels and that toowith fixing limit of alcohol to beserved to the consumers. AnusiaDevi concludes that now theAdministration should thinkwhether it wants to make theseIslands as Bar Cities and a UnionTerritory of high mortality due toalcoholism or wants to make ithealthy, wealthy and beautifulIslands as it was earlier. R Mohan,State President, while approvingthe letter of complaint anddemand signed by Anusia Devi,has told that this demand willannoy many bureaucrats and tosatisfy the vested interests of suchbureaucrats, no political partieshas come forward with the afore-said demand so far. But in theinterest of the people of these islesand also to give the islands a freeand fair society, the Party hastaken this strong step. The releasealso asserts that BJP is not work-ing here only to issue condo-lences, declaring it a self-madenumber one political party ofA&N Islands. It also said that theparty will never force any body toattend their meetings and dhar-nas.

of the departments have alreadyprepared the SOPs. The installa-tions of warning system, sirens liewith the Police department. Itcosts about Rs 23 Lakhs and eachsiren will cover an area of 2.5 kmradius. About 300 sirens have tobe installed. The matter is stillunder process. There is a sireninstalled in the secretariat thatworks during drills but fails incase of real earthquake. It is audi-ble only to the staff in secretariat.

The pace of work is not differentfrom any other department.However, it is expected that thewhole system switches to disaster-mode in case of any disaster.

In the meantime, theDirectorate within its limitedresources has been successful inputting together a comprehensiveDisaster Management Plan, in theabsence of which the response inany eventuality would be ad-hocand tentative leading to overemphasis on some actions andabsence of other critical actions.The promising document hasbeen validated and sent for finalapproval. Many suggestions fromthe main supporting agencies -APWD, ANC and Police werebrought to the notice to be incor-porated in the final document.

The snail pace of our prepared-ness cannot be blamed on the

Administration alone. MHA tooplays a major part. In the lastseven years the subject was treat-ed like a burden thrust upon thestate. To everyone involved it wasa subject to be handled in additionto his own duties. Obviously it gota casual and routine treatment.However, in a meeting held forvalidation and finalization of theDisaster Management Plan, therepresentation of the line depart-ments was quite encouraging.

"The support from otherdepartments was not much in thebeginning and it was not veryeasy to shift their focus from theirroutine job to disaster prepared-ness mode," said Ashok KumarSharma, Director, DDM. "But nowafter continuous persuasion, thedepartments are taking thingsseriously and most of them wereactively involved in puttingtogether the DisasterManagement Plan," he added.

Three statutory bodies areformed at different levels forproper planning and coordinationof Disaster Management. A&N UTDisaster Management Authority(ANUTDMA) is headed by the LtGovernor, which has the MP alsoas a member. Earlier, there was norepresentation by the public rep-resentative in the core group. TheUT Disaster Management

Executive Committee (UTDMEC)has the Chief Secretary on top. Inevery district, District DisasterManagement Authority (DDMA)with the Deputy Commissioner asthe Chairperson and Adhyaksha,Zilla Parishad as Co-Chairpersonhas been formed. However, likeevery activity at district level, onceagain the revenue staff will be atthe helm of the affairs at grass-root level.

Another grey area, where thefocus is yet to reach is identifica-tion of vulnerable installationslike LPG Plant and Dams. LPG, asit comes under chemical disaster,it has to be dealt by the Dept ofEnvironment and Forests. Howmuch the department is preparedis anybody's guess.

Disaster preparedness is not asubject, to be dealt in the mostlethargic way. It needs speedy,efficient and prompt action.Although, a document is ready,it's more important that the con-tents percolate to the lowest leveland a target date is set. Theawareness programmes in allpanchayats and other PRIs shouldbe timebound. The Islands shouldbe able to achieve complete disas-ter awareness within the time-frame set. Or, we will be learninganother hard lesson in case of adisaster.

Stop Issuing BarLicenses: BJP

Search the inter-net and find them

being globalambassadors of

peace, great inno-vators and ideal

world citizens rub-bing shoulderswith the elite of

this world.

6 |edit|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 02 DECEMBER 2011

09 December 2011 | Vol 35 Issue 21

Na kuch kehte hi banta hai, Na chup rehte hi banta haiHamara bhee to is mitti se aakhir wastha hai kuch - (Raz Andamani)

Why We Need StatehoodTThhee pprriivvaattee qquueessttiioonn ooff tthhee MMPP iinn tthhee PPaarrlliiaammeenntt aanndd tthhee rreessoo--

lluuttiioonn ooff CCoonnggrreessss ppaarrttyy iinn iittss 77tthh PPoolliittiiccaall CCoonnffeerreennccee hhaavvee sseettttoo mmoooodd ffoorr aa LLeeggiissllaattiivvee sseettuupp ffoorr tthhee IIssllaannddss wwhhiicchh nneeeeddss

bbaacckkiinngg ffrroomm aallll ppoolliittiiccaall ppaarrttiieess aanndd cciivviill ssoocciieettyy oorrggaanniissaattiioonnss.. AAssssttaatteehhoooodd iiss aa ccoommmmoonn ddeemmaanndd,, aallll ppaarrttiieess sshhoouulldd ccoommee ttooggeetthheerroonn ccoommmmoonn ppllaattffoorrmm aanndd ddeemmaanndd iitt vvoocciiffeerroouussllyy.. SSttaatteehhoooodd wwiitthhaannyy kkiinndd ooff ppoolliittiiccaall aanndd ddeemmooccrraattiicc sseettuupp wwiillll oonnllyy mmaakkee oouurr IIssllaannddssddeetteeccttaabbllee aanndd vviissiibbllee oonn nnaattiioonnaall rraaddaarr..

MMoosstt ooff tthhee rreeppoorrttss aanndd ssttuuddiieess oonn vvaarriioouuss ssoocciiaall,, eedduuccaattiioonnaall,,ccuullttuurraall aanndd eeccoonnoommiicc sseeccttoorrss ddoonnee iinn IInnddiiaa ddoo nnoott ffeeaattuurree tthhiissUUnniioonn TTeerrrriittoorryy aass iiff tthheerree aarree nnoo lliivveess oorr tthheerree aarree nnoo iissssuueess iinn aalllltthheessee sseeccttoorrss hheerree.. WWhheetthheerr iitt iiss tthhee CCAAGG RReeppoorrtt,, HHuummaannDDeevveellooppmmeenntt IInnddeexx RReeppoorrtt oorr IInneeqquuaalliittyy AAddjjuusstteedd HHDDII,, oorr eevveenn ssttuudd--iieess oonn qquuaalliittyy ooff eedduuccaattiioonn oorr hheeaalltthhccaarree ddeelliivveerryy,, wwee aarree oouutt ooffffooccuuss iinn aallll tthhee nnaattiioonnaall lleevveell ssuurrvveeyyss aanndd ssttuuddiieess..

RReecceennttllyy iinn aann iinntteerraaccttiioonn wwiitthh ccoolllleeggee ssttuuddeennttss,, tthhee CChhiieeffSSeeccrreettaarryy ddiidd ssaayy tthhaatt tthheerree aarree rreepprreesseennttaattiivvee ddeemmooccrraattiicc iinnssttiittuu--ttiioonnss lliikkee PPRRII iinn tthhee IIssllaannddss.. HHoowweevveerr,, tthheeiirr rroollee iinn ppoolliiccyy mmaakkiinngg iissddiimmiinnuuttiivvee iinn nnaattuurree..

CCoommppaarriinngg tthhee pprreesseenntt bbuurreeaauuccrraattiicc sseettuupp wwiitthh tthhee ccuurrrreenntt bbrreeeeddooff ppoolliittiicciiaannss ooff tthhee IIssllaannddss iiss aallssoo nnoott aa vveerryy iimmpprreessssiivvee aarrgguummeenntt..WWee sshhoouulldd bbee aawwaarree ooff oouurr ssttrreennggtthhss aanndd wweeaakknneesssseess.. AAnndd,, aallssooaabboouutt tthhee sseettttlleerr ssoocciieettyy iinn tthheessee IIssllaannddss tthhaatt tthheeyy ddoo nnoott hhaavvee aalloonngg aanndd iilllluussttrriioouuss hhiissttoorryy ccoommppaarreedd ttoo ootthheerr ssttaatteess iinn tthhee mmaaiinn--llaanndd.. TThhaatt ddooeess nnoott mmeeaann wwee ccaannnnoott ssttaarrtt nnooww.. TThhee ttiimmee ttoo ssttaarrttaannyytthhiinngg nneeww iiss nnooww.. TThhee eexxppeerriimmeenntt wwiillll ffaaccee mmaannyy hhiiccccuuppss..PPoolliittiicciiaannss wwiillll lleeaarrnn,, ppeeooppllee aanndd bbuurreeaauuccrraattss ttoooo..

TTiillll 22000088 ppeeooppllee wweerree wwaarryy ooff tthhee ddeemmaanndd ffoorr aasssseemmbbllyy ffoorr tthheeIIssllaannddss.. TThheeyy tthhoouugghhtt iitt ttoo bbee aa ppllooyy ooff tthhee ppoolliittiicciiaannss iinn ggeenneerraall aannddMMaannoorraannjjaann BBhhaakkttaa iinn ppaarrttiiccuullaarr ffoorr sseellff aaggggrraannddiizzeemmeenntt aanndd aaccrraavviinngg ffoorr mmoorree ppoowweerr aanndd ppeellff.. TThhee ppuubblliicc tthhoouugghhtt tthhee bbuurreeaauu--ccrraattiicc ssyysstteemm ccoouulldd ssttiillll ddeelliivveerr wwiitthh aa lliittttllee ttiinnkkeerriinngg hheerree aanndd tthheerree..BBuutt sslloowwllyy tthhee ppuubblliicc ooppiinniioonn iiss vveeeerriinngg aarroouunndd aasssseemmbbllyy aanndd ppoowweerr--ttoo--tthhee--ppeeooppllee aass tthhee ffeeeelliinngg tthhaatt,, tthhee pprreesseenntt ssyysstteemm iiss bbeeyyoonnddrreeddeemmppttiioonn,, hhaass bbeeeenn ggaaiinniinngg ggrroouunndd ffaasstt..

MMaayybbee,, tthhee ffiirrsstt ttwwoo tteerrmmss wwoouulldd bbee uutttteerr cchhaaooss aafftteerr tthhee UUTT ggeettssaasssseemmbbllyy.. BBuutt ssiinnccee tthhee ssyysstteemm hhaass hhiitt tthhee nnaaddiirr,, tthheerree iiss nnoott mmuucchhttoo lloossee.. FFoorrmmeerr CCSS CChheerriinngg TTaarrggeeyy iinn aann iinntteerrvviieeww hhaadd oonnccee ssaaiidd tthhaatttthheerree iiss nnoo ssuubbssttiittuuttee ttoo aa ddeemmooccrraattiicc sseett uupp.. PPeeooppllee''ss aassppiirraattiioonnssggrrooww wwiitthh tthhee rriissee iinn pprroossppeerriittyy.. TThhee pprreesseenntt ssyysstteemm hhaass pprroovveedd iinnccaa--ppaabbllee ooff mmeeeettiinngg tthhoossee aassppiirraattiioonnss.. SSoommee kkiinndd ooff aa ddeemmooccrraattiicc sseettuupp wwoouulldd sshhiifftt tthhee ddeecciissiioonn mmaakkiinngg pprroocceessss ffrroomm DDeellhhii ttoo PPoorrtt BBllaaiirr..TThhee PPRRII,, ZZiillllaa PPaarriisshhaadd oorr tthhee MMuunniicciippaalliittyy ddoo nnoott hhaavvee tthhee mmaannddaatteettoo ddiisscchhaarrggee tthhoossee dduuttiieess.. AAnn aalltteerrnnaattee iiss iinneevviittaabbllee..

AAnnootthheerr aarrgguummeenntt tthhaatt tthhee ppooppuullaattiioonn iiss ttoooo ssmmaallll aanndd tthhee ssttrraattee--ggiicc iimmppoorrttaannccee ooff tthhee iissllaannddss wwiillll bbee ccoommpprroommiisseedd ddooeess nnoott ssttaannddaannyy ggrroouunndd.. TThhee ssiizzee ooff tthhee ppooppuullaattiioonn sshhoouulldd bbee nnoo ccoonnssttrraaiinntt..WWhheenn ssttaatteehhoooodd wwaass ggiivveenn ttoo NNoorrtthh--EEaasstteerrnn ssttaatteess,, tthheeyy ddiidd nnootthhaavvee vveerryy llaarrggee ppooppuullaattiioonn.. IInnddiiaann AArrmmeedd FFoorrcceess aarree iinn aa ddiiffffeerreennttlleeaagguuee aallttooggeetthheerr.. TThhee ttyyppee ooff aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn wwoouulldd bbee nnoo iimmppeeddii--mmeenntt iinn tthheeiirr aaccttiivviittiieess,, iitt iissnn''tt aannyywwhheerree iinn tthhee ccoouunnttrryy..

FFoorreemmoosstt,, wwee ccaann''tt qquueessttiioonn tthhee wwiissddoomm ooff tthhee ppeeooppllee iinn aaddeemmooccrraaccyy.. IItt''ss ffoorr aallll ooff uuss;; ttoo ccrreeaattee aawwaarreenneessss;; eedduuccaattee tthhee ccoomm--mmoonn ppeeooppllee ttoo eelleecctt tthhee rriigghhtt ppeerrssoonnss ttoo lleeaadd tthheemm.. AAnndd tthhee cchhaaoossaanndd tthhee mmaayyhheemm,, yyeess,, iinniittiiaallllyy,, tthheerree mmiigghhtt bbee aa cchhuurrnniinngg,, aa lliittttllee ttuurr--bbuulleennccee bbuutt tthhiinnggss ccaann''tt ggoo ddoowwnnhhiillll..

OOnnee sshhoouulldd nnoott ggiivvee uupp hhooppee.. TThhaatt wwoouulldd bbee bbllaasspphheemmyy.. WWee aalllllliivvee oonn hhooppee;; hhooppee ffoorr aa bbeetttteerr ttoommoorrrrooww.. IInnsstteeaadd ooff iinndduullggiinngg iinn sseellff--ppiittyy,, lleett uuss wwoorrkk ffoorr aa bbeetttteerr ttoommoorrrrooww,, ttaakkee tthhiinnggss iinn oouurr oowwnn hhaannddss;;wwoorrkk ffoorr aacchhiieevviinngg oouurr ddeemmooccrraattiicc rriigghhttss eennsshhrriinneedd iinn tthheeCCoonnssttiittuuttiioonn ooff IInnddiiaa,, hhaavvee oouurr oowwnn ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt,, oouurr oowwnn ppeeooppllee aatttthhee hheellmm ooff aaffffaaiirrss ttoo sshhaappee oouurr ddeessttiinnyy..

SACRED | SPACE

When you see geese flying along in “V”formation, you might consider whatscience has discovered as to why they

fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it cre-ates an uplift for the bird immediately follow-ing. By flying in “V” formation, the wholeflock adds at least 71 percent greater flyingrange than if each bird flew on its own. Peoplewho share a common direction and sense ofcommunity can get where they are goingmore quickly and easily because they are trav-eling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it sud-denly feels the drag and resistance of trying togo it alone — and quickly gets back into for-mation to take advantage of the lifting powerof the bird in front. If we have as much senseas a goose, we will stay in formation withthose people who are headed the same waywe are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotatesback in the wing and another goose fliespoint. It is sensible to take turns doingdemanding jobs, whether with people or withgeese flying south. Geese honk from behind toencourage those up front to keep up theirspeed.

What messages do we give when we honkfrom behind? Finally — and this is important— when a goose gets sick or is wounded bygunshot, and falls out of formation, two othergeese fall out with that goose and follow itdown to lend help and protection. They staywith the fallen goose until it is able to fly oruntil it dies, and only then do they launch outon their own, or with another formation tocatch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will standby each other like that.

The Goose Story

It is really excellent and wonder-ful that the Chief Secretaryhimself interacted with the stu-

dents. I can imagine from thenature of question posed by stu-dents that now students ofAndamans are fully exposed tothe day to day problems of theworld. I liked the comments of CSwherein he has described as tohow Port Blair was, three decadesback. Regarding the brain-drain

question, what the CS said is cor-rect. I was perhaps the first boy toqualify any of the UPSC's compet-itive examination in 1983 and joinCentral Secretariat Service. Wehave now an IAS officer fromAndamans too. There are still fewmore in senior position in Delhi.A&N Administration can alwaysrequisition services of those offi-cers who are willing. On our partwherever we get a chance to dealany case of Andamans, we alwaysdo it in a positive manner becausewe are from there.

DDrr..VViinncceenntt BBaarrllaa

Abolish Octroi

Many Governments haveabolished Octroi inMunicipal Councils since

the ongoing tussle between theindustries and the municipal cor-porations states in India haveeither done away with or are into

the stages of phasing out Octroi.It seems to echo the thought

that Octroi must be abolished dueto its various ill effects includingthe final distribution price. It isthus imperative to find alternativesources for funding the munici-palities. The Octroi system, it isoften termed to be 'obnoxious''vexatious' 'wasteful' and 'distort-ing'. The abolition of Octroi willnot only help to attain economies

on logistics and warehousing butwill also make it a unified market.Octroi should be eliminated inphases.

Abolition of Octroi might resultin some initial losses; it will bebeneficial in the long run. Thesewill not only ease inter state tradeand generate more revenue butalso impart some degree of uni-formity to the tax system. Octroiwill further burden the poor peo-ple, and make a deep hole in theirpockets, as the cost of living inAndaman is too high, with doubledigit inflation and due to trans-portation of commodities frommainland like sugar, edible oil,soaps, plastic goods, leather, tex-tiles and ferrous metals. There isapprehension among traders thatunscrupulous elements willimport cheap quality goods. Thecity will suffer as consumers willget poor quality commodities.Port Blair Municipal Councilshould impose tax only for petro-leum products, tobacco, liquor

and vehicles and should exemptOctroi for other products, PBMCshould amend the regulation, Ifeel the Andaman chamber ofcommerce and the MP shouldtake up the matter in the interestof the islanders and abolishOctroi. Even the Prime Minister ofIndia has asked to abolish Octroiin the recent past. Some of thealternative sources which can belooked at in order to raise rev-enues for the municipalitiesinclude: Issuance of MunicipalBonds, Creation of a MunicipalDevelopment Fund, Tax onVacant Land, Imposition ofPollution Tax.

DDrr.. DDiinneesshhGolghar, Port Blair

Farmers Duped

KVK-CARI is really doing forthe skill up gradation ofIslander farmers, but at the

same time it was observed thatagriculture department percep-tion is not based on the facts.During Tsunami rehabilitationprogram, I had observed that thefarmers who had no need forpower tillers they got the powertiller. In some places theAgriculture Department justdumped the organic manurewithout taking farmers into confi-dence. The efforts of Governmentregarding agriculture develop-ment will be futile if farmers arenot placed in the center of theplanning.

SShhaarraadd PPaanntt

Intelligent Interaction

MAIL | BOX

7 |home|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

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The Hon’ble Lt Governor, LtGen (Retd) BhopinderSingh, PVSM, AVSM today

inaugurated the 1st CommonService Centre (CSC) set upunder the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) at afunction held at the CommunityHall, Dairy Farm here this morn-ing. He also launched the e-Dweep portal on the occasion.With this launch, 10 CSCs havebeen made operational today inthe Port Blair Municipal limits.

Speaking on the occasion, theLt Governor said that theCommon Service Centres named‘e-Dweep Kendra’ have beenlaunched with the aim ofimproving delivery of govern-ment services to citizens under asingle roof without the citizensfacing difficulties by visiting vari-ous offices. He directed that staffmanning these e-Dweep Kendras

to adopt a people friendlyapproach, especially towardssenior citizens, ladies and illiter-ate people while dealing withthem. “As citizens from varioussection of the society will come tothese centres, the staff engaged

here must behave with them in amore polite and dignified man-ner and provide all the requiredguidance,” he said.

He further said that in the firstphase, 41 citizen-centric servicesrelating to eight government

LG inaugurates e-Dweep Kendra at Dairy Farm

CSCs Makes PublicServices Accessible

departments namely CivilSupply, Electricity, DeputyCommissioner (SA), Fisheries,Agriculture, EmploymentExchange, Transport and AnimalHusbandry will be offeredthrough the e-governanceCommon Service Centers(CSCs) which will provide aboon for people who can submitand collect various requiredinformation and documentswithout visiting the offices con-cerned. He further said thatthese e-Dweep Kendras willremain open from 8.00 am to8.00 pm on weekdays and from8.00 pm to 1.00 pm on Sundays.People need not now wait for theoffice hours and can get theseservices before or after officehours also.

He further elaborated that inthe due course, more serviceswill be added for deliverythrough these e-Dweep Kendras.While 10 centres have alreadystarted functioning, the remain-ing e-Dweep Kendra will berolled out in phases and by July2012, all the 56 e-DweepKendras would be made opera-tional, He further said that out ofthe total of 56 CSCs planned, 29centres will be opened in SouthAndaman, 18 in North & MiddleAndaman and nine will be set upin southern group of the Islands.This will go a long way to ensureefficiency, transparency and reli-

ability for delivery of services tocommon man, he added.

The Lt Governor further saidthat as on date, physical and vir-tual connectivity continue toremain our single biggest con-cern. Due to our locations at theedge of the foot prints of ISROsatellites, quality of service ispoor, particularly in the southerngroup of Islands but with thelaunch of Submarine OpticalFibre Cable Project, we will havemuch improvement within ayear and this will kick start thenew developmental phase in theIslands. Increased online ‘gov-ernment to citizen’ transactionswould spur up development of ITenabled services in the Islandswhich will go a long way in cre-ating thousands of jobs for ouryouth, he added.

Earlier, welcoming the chiefguest and others, theCommissioner-cum-Secretary(IT), Shri B.S. Bhalla said thatthe CSC services have beenlaunched to make all public serv-ices accessible to the commonman in his locality, through com-mon service delivery outlets andensure efficiency, transparencyand reliability of such services torealize the basic needs of thecommon man.

The function concluded withthe vote of thanks proposed bythe Special Secretary (IT), ShriUtpal Sharma.

BYBASUDEVDASS

The awareness-cum-interac-tion programme organizedby the Electricity Consumers

Grievances Redressal Forum(CGRF) at Tusonabad last Fridaydid not start with a happy note.The opposition in the Panchayatstaged a walk out alleging thatthe Pradhan/Sarpanch did notgive them prior intimation of theactivity. All the plea to makethem understand that the pro-gramme had no political relationby least but was for their person-al and family welfare. Too lesseducated but politically senti-mental and sensitive with muchcare towards their political egorather than the welfare of the res-idents, the leaders could not betamed.

However, with the progress ofthe meeting the gatheringincreased and interacted with themember Sujit Thankachan andChairman, Manohar Singh ofCGRF.

Sujit counted the grievancesrelated to wrong/excess billing,

defective meter and its replace-ment, mis application of tariff,non-restoration of power supplyin case of breakdown, low volt-age, delay in service connection,delay in first/subsequent bills etc."If these grievances of the con-sumers are not met by the con-cerned authorities in theElectricity Department in certainstipulated time, the aggrievedcustomer can approach theCGRF," Sujit informed.

People attending the meetingcame out with many problemsand queries which were tactfullydealt by the chairman CGRF,Manohar Singh. He ensuredrecording of problems by the offi-cials of Electricity Departmentpresent on the occasion in thePanchayat Hall of Tusonabad.

The People generally wereannoyed of disruptive power sup-ply in the name of load-sheddingevery day under the cover ofmaintenance. An old inhabitantsaid. Earlier Bhagat Singh, thenManohar Singh and now anotherfellow is the root cause of all

CGRF OrganizesAwareness Programmeat Tusonabad

unscheduled load-shedding".The person who could not recog-nise Manohar Singh and alsodidn't know the name of presentSE of Electricity Department butwas sure that they were not sup-plying electricity to rural area,rather was confined to meet theneeds of Port Blair's.

Poor fellow he was. After the death of his parents, he worked inhotels, washed dishes but however, studied. His honesty andlabour brought fruit and he could fetch a clerical job in the

Administration. The day he reported for duty, his old colleagues askedhim for a party against fetching a government job. One of them alsogave him some amount on loan to meet the expenditure of the party.He obliged them.

He got the first salary after a month. His colleagues demanded aparty against receiving first salary. He had to oblige them again.

An orphan he was. His colleagues, after a couple of years arranged agirl for him and solemnized his marriage. Party for engagement, Partyon marriage, Party after returning from honeymoon. And every time hehad to oblige.

The girl proved to be a mismatch with her loose character and loosetalk. His life turned into a hell. To get rid of her he filed divorce suit. Theday case was listed, he had to oblige his colleagues with another party.After losing all his savings he finally got the divorce with a direction bythe Court to pay a good amount every month to the divorced wife withcertain conditions. With a long face, he entered his office the next day.His colleagues surrounded him, " let us have a party for your success inthe divorce case," they demanded.

And he obliged.—— MMuussaaffiirr

The Never-ending Party

PPrriinntteedd aanndd PPuubblliisshheedd bbyy BBaassuuddeevv DDaassss oonn bbeehhaallff ooff GGeezziirraa PPuubblliiccaattiioonnss PPvvtt.. LLttdd.. aatt WWiinnssttaarr,, 33,, PPoolliiccee MMoossqquuee SShhooppppiinngg CCoommpplleexx,, SSuuppppllyy LLaannee,, AAbbeerrddeeeenn BBaazzaarr,, PPoorrtt BBllaaiirr -- 774444110011.. MMbb:: 99993322008811777711,, EEmmaaiill:: lliigghhttooffaannddaammaannss@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm.. PPrriinntteedd aatt GGeezziirraa PPrriinntteerrss,, PPoorrtt BBllaaiirr.. FFoouunnddeerr EEddiittoorr:: PPaarraass RRaamm EEddiittoorr:: ZZuubbaaiirr AAhhmmeedd

candid | CAMERA8 |back|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 09 DECEMBER 2011

chalte | CHALTE

PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE: Deers and peacock in Ross Island shed feral natureand openly mingle with the visitors.

back | BITETo be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and

call whatever you hit the target.