In the haunting shadows of the 2004 tsunami that brought devastation to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a story of unparalleled resilience and courage stands tall.
Namita Roy, then 26, delivered her son amidst the chaos of a snake-infested jungle in Hut Bay Island, where she and her family sought refuge after their home was devoured by the unforgiving sea.
“I don’t want to recall that dark day,” Namita begins, her voice trembling as she recounts the catastrophic events of 20 years ago.
The morning had begun like any other, but by afternoon, an eerie silence had gripped the island.
“I was pregnant and busy with chores when I noticed the sea receding miles from the shore. It was terrifying,” she says.
Moments later, a monstrous wall of water surged towards the island, accompanied by violent tremors that shook the earth beneath her feet.
Namita fainted in panic as others fled to higher ground. When she regained consciousness, she found herself deep inside a jungle, surrounded by thousands of displaced locals.
Her husband and young son had survived, but the island lay in ruins, the once-familiar landscape replaced by a scene of unimaginable destruction.
That night, at 11.49 pm, Namita went into labour.
“There was no doctor, no medical help,” she recalls. “I lay on a boulder, crying for assistance. My husband begged some women for help, and with their support, I delivered my son amidst the snakes and the darkness of the jungle.”
For four nights, the survivors clung to life at Lal Tikri Hills, surviving on coconut water and sheer determination.
Namita, weak from blood loss, struggled to nurse her premature baby, named Tsunami—a poignant tribute to the calamity that marked his birth. Defence personnel eventually rescued the group, taking Namita and her newborn to GB Pant Hospital in Port Blair for medical care.
Today, Namita resides in West Bengal’s Hooghly district with her two sons, Saurabh and Tsunami.
Her husband, Laxminarayan, tragically succumbed to COVID-19 during the pandemic, leaving her to shoulder the family’s responsibilities alone. Yet, her indomitable spirit remained unbroken.
“My mother is the strongest person I know,” says Tsunami, now 20 and aspiring to become an oceanographer.
“After my father’s death, she started a food delivery service, which she named ‘Tsunami Kitchen’. She ensured we never lacked anything.”
Reflecting on the 2004 tragedy, officials have noted how the absence of a warning system compounded the disaster’s impact. “Large-scale devastation could have been averted,” an Andaman and Nicobar administration official remarked. “Today, with over 1,400 warning stations worldwide, we are far better prepared.”
For Namita, the memories remain vivid, a mix of pain and pride.
“Those days tested every ounce of my strength,” she says. “But looking at my sons now, especially Tsunami, I know it was all worth it.”
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