Expert Committee on Primitive Tribal Groups Had Suggested Separate Policies for each Tribal group in Andaman and Nicobar

THE COMMITTEE HAD RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE BAN ON POPULATION INFLUX AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS IN THE INTERIORS OF THE ISLAND

The Committee of Experts set up by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to look into the polices and action for the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands had stressed the need of separate policies for each of PTGs namely Shompen, Great Andamanese, Onges and Sentinelese at the earliest. It had expressed concern over alarming increase in the population of the Islands and recommended immediate steps to restrict the population influx into the islands. The Expert committee  under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs was of the view that the vehicular traffic on the Andaman Trunk road passing through Jarawa Reserve should be substituted with the sea going vehicles and construction work on the road which runs through middle of Great Nicobar should be stop immediately. The details of the conclusions arrived at the expert committee meeting are as follows: - Within the distinctly different nature of the five PTGs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it is important to have separate policies for each of the PTGs. A policy already exists for the Jarawa tribe, but there is no policy for the remaining four PTGs namely Shompen, Great Andamanese, Onges and Sentinelese. A policy for each of these PTGs needs to be put in place at the earliest. - To enable these policies to be framed fixed studies of approximately three months duration need to be taken up. Though a policy exists for Jarawa tribe, it is not being implemented properly or monitored adequately. The Expert Committee will look closely into the implementation of Jarawa policy. - While separate policies may be made for each of the PTGs, certain efforts which affect all the PTGs on the islands as a whole are necessary to be taken if these tribes and the environment ecology of the islands are to survive. An alarming increase in the population of the islands needs to be addressed forthwith. While a carrying capacity study has been commissioned to arrive at the optimum level of population the islands can sustain, it is not advisable to delay taking action until the results of the study are available. Acute shortage of drinking water, large scale construction resulting in the destruction of the environment is already apparent. Therefore, immediate steps need to be taken to restrict the population influx into the islands. - There is a lack of sensitivity amongst the general population in the islands be in officials, settlers, school children or others regarding the situation of the PTGs. They are being seen as a curiosity item and that due to the adverse impact of the various activities on these heritage groups, they are on the brink of extinction, is little appreciated. - In the case of two PTGs namely Great Andamanese and Onges who are in full contact with the general population, the education that is being imparted needs to be carefully looked at and quickly reviewed. Though some efforts have been made to prepare material in their mother tongue namely Great Andamanese and Onge for teaching their children, no worthwhile efforts have been made to implement teaching in mother tongue. The quality of teaching material in Great Andamanese and Onge also needs a lot to be desired from the pedagogical point of view. It is also necessary to immediately look at this material and introduce it in a proper form in the schools and provide teachers knowing their language. - A portion of Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) passes through Jarawa reserve. The Supreme Court has ordered that vehicular traffic on this stretch of road be stopped. However, a stay has been obtained and the vehicles continue to ply and in fact their number has increased in the recent years. If the Jarawas are to be protected, from unwarranted and undesirable interaction with other people, it is important to impose significant restrictions on the volume of traffic on the ATR and to have a plan to discontinue all the traffic within the Jarawa reserve within a certain time frame. It is possible to substitute the vehicular traffic on the portion of ATR passing through Jarawa reserve with sea going vehicles. - Similarly, the portion of the road which runs through middle of Great Nicobar has caused great destruction to the Shompen ways of life since it runs through middle of their reserve. The work on this road which is being repaired by the Border Roads Organisation needs to be stopped. - The way of life of Onges who live in Little Andaman islands has been badly affected by increase in population of other people who have settled on the islands. Activity of these people namely, illegal poaching, felling of trees, etc. have affected the ability of the Onges to sustain themselves as hunter gatherer tribe. The Onges who are about 100 in number need at least 200 sq. kms of undisturbed forests to be able to sustain themselves. Efforts need to be made to make land on the islands of Little Andaman available to the Onges.