The Shompen are as precariously poised on the brink of extinction as the four other hunter-gatherer tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the home to four Negrito and two Indo-Mongoloid tribes. Those belonging to the Negrito racial reserve – the Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawas and the Sentinelese - are still at hunting-gathering stage of economy. Small in number, sensitive and isolated, they have been under severe stress. The Indo-Mongoloid clan of the Nicobarese, relatively sturdy and resilient, has accepted the challenge of change and have prospered and multiplied. The members of the other Mongoloid community, the Shompen, semi nomadic and living in small, scattered settlements, still shy away from outsiders. They are somewhat better off than the Great Andamanese and the Onge, whose numbers have sharply dwindled. However they are not as isolated as the Sentinelese and the Jarawas.
Ancient tribe, The Shompen: Their self-sufficiency is slowly being undermined.
It is India’s last island and its largest. Beyond it stretches the mighty Indian Ocean. One of the historic archipelago of over 572 islands & islets in the Bay of Bengal, known as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Great Nicobar first entered the wider public consciousness in December, 2004, when the catastrophic Tsunami wreaked havoc on the island. Great Nicobar, with its rather large habitation, of settlers from the mainland Indiaat CampbellBay suffered colossal damage, both in terms of human lives and in terms of property and infrastructure. The scars are still hauntingly vivid, about five years later.
The lighthouse at Indira Point, Campbell Bay, left submerged by Tsunami
Its Tsunami connection apart, “Great Nicobar is also known as the land of the Shompen, one of the last surviving stone-age tribes in the world. Not as well known as the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands, the Shompen are as precariously poised on the brink of extinction as the four other hunter-gatherer tribes (the Jarawa, the Andamanese, the Onge and the Sentinelese),” wrote an astounded Meena Gupta in The Hindu about three years ago, which stimulated me to write this post, today.
Classified as a Primitive Tribal Group (PTG), the Shompen have light yellow-brown skins, straight hair, narrow eyes and stocky build, giving them a strong resemblance to the people of Myanmar (the erstwhile Burma) and Indonesia.
“Like the Jarawas, they are skilled hunter-gatherers but, unlike them, also raise plantations of various crops such as pandanus and lemon and colocasia. They subsist primarily on these plants, wild boar, wild fruits, honey and fish. And like the Jarawas, they are, by and large, disease-free.”
“The tragedy of the Shompen — indeed, of all the primitive tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — is that until a few decades ago, they were monarchs of all they surveyed. Only 50 years down the line, their lands have been occupied, their forests chopped down, their animals hunted and they themselves outnumbered by people from an alien culture.”
History has it that unlike the major islands of the Andamans and some Nicobar Islands, Great Nicobar was, by and large, undisturbed by incursions of outsiders until the late 1960s. The Shompen lived in the interior of the island, inside the forest and along the rivers; the Nicobarese lived along the coast, to the north of the island. The two tribes lived in a kind of armed truce after intermittent skirmishes.
A major influx of population started in 1969 with the settlement of several hundred ex-servicemen from the mainland India on the south-eastern coast of Great Nicobar, and a proposal to settle several hundred more on the western coast. Even more damaging, the East-West road (measuring 43 km in length) was constructed through the pristine Shompen territory. Thus, a tribal reserve area under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, was opened to outsiders.
The area of the reserve has also shrunk over the years. The ‘reserved area’ in Great Nicobar, which initially covered the whole island (1044.54 sq km as per the notification dated 2 April, 1957, issued by the Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar islands), has been reduced to 853.19 sq km. The population of outsiders has been growing steadily since 1969, while the number of the Shompen, which is alarmingly low, has remained stagnant or is shrinking.
According to the Census, the population of the Shompen was 212 in 1971, 223 in 1981, 131 in1991, and 398 in 2001. These figures are, of course, estimations and the discrepancies, particularly in the last figure, are quite obvious, as the Shompen, being forest-dwelling, nomadic hunter-gatherers and averse to the entry of others into their settlements, do not lend themselves to easy or accurate counting.
Several development activities are currently being carried on in Great Nicobar, all with an inevitable deleterious impact on the Shompen. Some are security-related given the strategic location of Great Nicobar almost at the southern end of India and its proximity to many international shipping routes. Such activities cannot, perhaps, be avoided.
A Shompen family (1980s)
But the three major issues that pose the greatest danger to the Shompen are not defence or security-related: the burgeoning population of outsiders, the renovation and construction of the East-West road through the heart of the Shompen reserve, and the free food and other items being given to the Shompen by the government.
Despite the fact that Great Nicobar was severely affected by the 2004 Tsunami, it does not seem to have had any permanent impact on the number of people who wish to live there; the population today has grown considerably from that in 2001. Apart from the impact on the Shompen, the numbers need to be controlled and reduced from the point of view of the island’s carrying capacity.
The island’s ecology will indisputably be destroyed by such large numbers and so will the people who live in harmony with it. And this, my dear friends, is not an alarming issue that is confined to the Great Nicobar Island only, but is rather a very burning issue in the larger interest of the entire delicate coral islands of Andaman & Nicobar that have been rendered even more vulnerable after the massive earthquake & Tsunami of 26th December, 2004.
Permanent shelters constructed in Great Nicobar after Tsunami
The construction and repair of the East-West road is an even greater threat to the Shompen. This road, which had been constructed long ago and abandoned, fell into disrepair and was not used for several decades. Indeed, there was no real need to maintain it since the settlement on the western coast which the road was supposed to link, never came up. Since the Tsunami, however, repair work on a lot of structures was taken up, including on the East-West road.
Thus the Shompen are faced with the renewed danger of incursions into their territory. Moreover, the laborers from the mainland bring with them a totally different culture. Even more worrisome, they bring diseases to which the Shompen have little or no immunity. Such diseases can spread like an epidemic, as happened some years ago when diarrhoea killed a large number of the tribe.
But, by far, the most damaging activity is the administration’s new-found practice of doling out free rations. This has been in operation for some years, but increased after the tsunami, in the mistaken belief that the Shompen were being protected from hunger and starvation. The Shompen, who are a totally self-sufficient hunter-gatherer-grower people living on wild animals, fruit, tubers, fish and honey, are being given rice and biscuits and alien food products. They are also being given cloth, though the Shompen have an ancient tradition of making cloth out of tree bark, which they wear swathed around their waists.
Thus an insidious culture of dependency is being created, undermining the self-sufficiency of these people so closely attached to Mother Nature, precisely on the lines of what is being done with the originally self-reliant Nicobarese. And all this is irrefutably thanks to the worsening culture of vote-bank politics in India.
As a matter of fact, the issues of the aboriginal tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands are so different from that of the other tribes elsewhere in the world that it calls for an extremely sensitive, prudent and specialized administration. Unfortunately, most senior officials in the Andaman and Nicobar come to the islands from the mainland India, for a brief period and do not have a clue about the adept approach required for these rare heritage tribes. Such officials also end up resisting any kind of sensitization, invariably.
Unless the administration wakes up to the fact that they have a very uncommon and precious commodity in the form of these heritage primitive tribes, one that needs extremely delicate and sensitive handling, it is more than likely that these few hundred people will, in due course, disappear, leaving an indelible scar in history about the thoughtlessness of the so-called caretakers of humanity, something which would trigger a state of emergency vis-à-vis the very existence of our habitat, at large.
The Indian Navy is celebrating Navy Day today, the 4th December, 2009 as a tribute to the valiant maritime operations taken by the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. The Naval component of the Andaman & Nicobar Command is carrying out various events spread over a week also known as “Navy Week” beginning today. Intensified maritime surveillance and other operational tasks by the Navy in the Andaman Sea region have been the principal thrust of the Joint Andaman & Nicobar Command.
Navy Day is the anniversary of the daredevil attack on Pakistan’s only naval base at Karachi, in 1971. Besides, “the Indian Navy has made an enormous contribution to our Islands. From providing security to these Islands for over forty years to establishing lines of communication over the far reaches of these islands to specialized medical attention to its denizens when needed. The yeoman job rendered by the naval component of the Joint Command in relief and evacuation during the catastrophic Tsunami that struck the Islands on 26th December, 2004, is an unforgettable service to the Islanders,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, while greeting the Indian Navy.
Let me proudly share with you all, dear friends, on this momentous occasion, certain salient facts and figures about the historic establishment of the first ever Integrated Command in the country.
The First Integrated Command:
The location of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands confers great strategic advantage. Their economic and tourist potential also dictate a sound security presence. As India’s Easternmost Bastion, the ANC is charged with the responsibility for the defense of the A & N territories, its air space and waters. ANC is raised as India ‘Look East Policy’, of reaching out to the defense of India’s maritime neighbors and building ‘Bridges of friendship’.
The Andaman & Nicobar archipelago of over 572 islands & islets stretches like a necklace around the Andaman Sea. North to south, the chain extends over 720 kilometers. At its widest, its only 51 kilometers. Constituting approximately 8249 square Km of landmass, the islands have 1912 Km of coastline. The archipelago is at a distance of approximately 1200 Km from India’s Eastern seaboard and 450 Km from the Malay Peninsula. Myanmar’s Coco Islands towards the North are just 42 Km away and Aceh in Indonesia is 163 Km from the southernmost tip of Great Nicobar Island, which, in fact, is also India’s southernmost tip.
After the 1962 war, a need was felt to enhance military presence in these Islands. Consequently, INS Jarawa was commissioned at Port Blair on 15th February, 1964. This was followed by the commissioning of INS Kardip at Kamorta on 28th April, 1973. The establishment was renamed – Fortress A & N (FORTAN) in 1981with a Rear Admiral as the Fortress Commander. Utkrosh Air Station was commissioned on 11th May, 1985. The Fortress Commander was upgraded to a three star appointment in 1987. FORTAN got a Tri-service character with the induction of 108 Mountain Brigade from Lekhabali (Arunachal Pradesh) on 15th December, 1990 and the raising of 37 Wing at Car Nicobar on 16th September, 1993. As regards, Coast Guard, the Regional Headquarters was amongst the first three Regional HQs that were set up after the enactment of the Coast Guard Act in 1978.
Further, the Government of India approved the establishment of the ANC as an Integrated Command on 11th May, 2001. The directive from Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) on setting up of ANC was issued and the Command was raised on 8th October, 2001, under the first Commander-in-Chief A & N (CINCAN), Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, AVSM (Ati Vishishta Seva Medal), VrC, and VSM. All components of the three services and Coast Guard located in the Islands were placed under the operational command of CINCAN.
Vice Admiral Arun Prakash with then Lt. Governor, Prof Ram Kapse and Lt Gen Aditya Singh
Last week, I came across a copy of a supposedly leading national newspaper, named… well; naming it here would be unethical; which carried some utterly slanderous & uncouth remarks about a well-known spotless personality and I found myself musing over as to what ‘Journalism’ is actually, all about and what are the salient standards and ethics that journalists are supposed to follow and maintain. A bit of an online research revealed the following:
One of the leading voices in the U.S. on the subject of Journalistic Standards and Ethics is the Society of Professional Journalists. The Preamble to its Code of Ethics states:
...public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.
Well, that more or less, sums it up for the standing of the daily I was talking about and establishes the standards and ethics that ought to be maintained by objective journalists catering to all media the world over.
Professional journalism, in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, I would say has been in a nascent stage ever since the establishment of the penal settlement. Throughout this circumstantially protracted period of infancy, there’ve been umpteen instances of aspiring individuals venturing to establish newspapers and magazines from time to time, but none succeeded in totality, except ‘The Daily Telegrams’, the daily paper run by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, which has irrefutably established itself as nothing but the raw, undisguised mouthpiece of the A & N Administration.
Although there have been quite a good number of individual freelance writers catering to the most reputed of national newspapers in the mainland India, some of whom rose to national and international fame beyond the territorial limits of the Islands as well. Their magnificent works on multifarious subjects were recognized highly and widely. But there has, constantly, been an inscrutable dearth ofstandard professional newspapers in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands all the while, which is a matter that inspires further research and analysis.
“‘The Light of Andamans’ was born out of the zeal and determination of one man; Paras Ram, to fight against the suffocating Kafkaesque atmosphere on the society that existed even after 30 years of Independence under bureaucratic rule. It was a hangover of the ‘Raj’ that extended much too long in the Islands,” writesGovinda Raju, the seasoned & proficient present editor of the weekly, who basks in hislyrical sobriquet – ‘Raz Andamani’.
He, further, writes in the ‘about us’ section of the online edition of the weekly, “He started ‘The Light of Andamans’ in 1975. But it was not a smooth sailing. It was printed in letter press and there were only three such presses in Port Blair.”
Paras Ram, the founder of ‘The Light of Andamans’
“After a few issues, the bureaucrats found it too unpalatable for their refined taste. Words went out to ensure that the paper was not printed. He took the next logical step and set up a press of his own after pledging his house to the bank.”
“‘The Light of Andamans’ had always been a crusader, taking up the causes that no other newspaper would touch. In doing so, it very often stepped on the toes of the authorities and had to face persecution in the form of denial of advertisements and numerous court cases against Mr. Paras Ram. He was arrested and prosecuted for his free and fearless reporting. But he continued in the same vein till ill health caught up with him. He had to give up and the publication came to a halt in 2003.”
Basudev Dass and Govinda Raju of ‘Gezira Publications Private Limited’ contacted Mr. Paras Ram in the year 2005 for transfer of the title in a bid to revive the second oldest newsmagazine from extinction and also to carry forward the mission that Mr. Paras Ram had started. He willingly agreed to transfer the title without any financial consideration.
“The Newsmagazine, under the new management, has undergone a sea change both in form and content. It turned into a full-fledged tabloid with 12 pages with plenty of photographs making both pleasing to the eyes and soothing for the mind. The quality of printing, the layout everything is unique as compared to other journals of the same genre. The contents are both refreshing, and thought provoking as well.”
“It has acquired a position where it influences the policies of the Administration and the Government of India in vital matters concerning the development of the islands, protection of aboriginal tribes and addressing the problems of the disadvantaged groups. The newsmagazine is known and appreciated for its bold, free, fair and balanced reporting.”
Govinda Raju
Govinda Raju and his teamhave worked very hard to rebuild the reputation, goodwill and a healthy new image of the newsmagazine brick by brick and I personally feel that the established codes of standards and ethics would always be upheld and maintained by ‘The Light of Andamans’ as long as the fervent ‘Raz Andamani’ is in charge.
Now, with the impressive, professionally done online edition at http://www.lightofandaman.comthe weekly is more easily accessible to readers from all over. I wish the exceptional newsmagazine all the very best and look forward to gorge on every issue every week!!!
"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself" - Arthur Miller
Hi, friends! If you all remember, it was during the month of September 2009 that my dear blogger friend, Paritosh had conferred the coveted Superior Scribbler Award on me. It was a prized recognition for an Islander like me from the rarely noticed far-flung Islands of Andaman & Nicobar and I have, hence, relished it to the maximum. After all, it’s not for nothing that the Great Mother Teresa said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”
That apart from making me gratefully ecstatic had left me with the crucial responsibility of passing it on to the next Five deserving bloggers, as per the rules of the Award. It was not an easy task as not only did I have the responsibility to confer the cherished recognition on the deserving candidates but also to ensure that the honor and glory of the Superior Scribbler Award is also upheld in the process.
Here are the Rules of the Award:
1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to five most deserving blog friends. Check.
2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award. Check.
3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog and link to the original post at The Scholastic Scribewhich explains The Award. Check.
4. Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit the original post at The Scholastic Scribe and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who wins This Prestigious Honor. Check.
5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules to his/her blog. Check.
Now, finally, after a long scrupulous scrutiny of the blogs that I’ve been following, I’m ready with my list of the deserving blogger friends.
1. Neha Gandhi- For being so real and suave in presenting her posts throughout her vivacious blog – BREATHE and artistically believing that “breathing and expressing” go hand in hand, which is so very true about being an adorable blogger. She has fared so well in “inhaling and exhaling a lot of thoughts, love, gratitude & information”. Hence, I would relish passing on the Superior Scribbler Award to Neha Gandhi.
2. Arul Kumaran - An upbeat and promising young & enterprising management professional & blogger who excels in illustrating the multifarious intricacies of Human Resource and Marketing Management. Some surprisingly astute tips & tricks of the trade which make his rich blog – MBA Bazzar a fantastic source of knowledge and information for anyone from any walk of life. Hence, I pretty contentedly pass on the Superior Scribbler Award to Arul Kumaran.
3. Nupur - For making the RANDOMNESS of life such an enticingly addictive subject to read with some genuinely heartwarming real-life episodes presented in a classy manner which makes it a very human blog. Well, no surprises – Nupur is the next Superior Scribbler for me.
4. Sauvik Chakraverti - Finally, there’s someone who firmly talks about some genuine solutions and not barely problems. “Tribals have benefited the least from the Indian state and its development policies. Worse still, their lands and livelihoods have been ruthlessly destroyed over time.” This is just the pick of the basket from the ANTIDOTE (“Libertarian Opinion from Indyeah”) wherein a daringly eloquent Sauvik Chakraverti, who is a seasoned author and journalist, blogs with a sense of carefree gumption and spontaneous concern about the multifarious burning issues that the largest democracy in the world is constantly faced with. To me, he is undoubtedly a Superior Scribbler.
5. Pankaj Sekhsaria - And last but no way the least, writer, photographer and freelance journalist, Pankaj Sekhsaria, author of 'Troubled Islands’ - Writings on the indigenous peoples and environment of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, is nobody short of a real Samaritan who has been blogging his heart out with utmost passion ATCROSSROADS for the past couple of years about the issues and concerns of the vital territory of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. A factual source of inspiration to me and many others, Pankaj Sekhsaria is a truly deserving Superior Scribbler.
“The Marathi-Manus quibbles about being deprived of several things - admissions to reputed colleges, job opportunities or a vacant seat in a crowded bus. But there are reasons and far neglected root causes to all of these problems he is facing since years… Our constitution gives every Indian equal right to mobilize and explore newer dimensions of life, work and opportunities. He can be the next Ambani, a CEO of a multinational organization, a space researcher or a lead vocalist of a death metal band, the world is an open space of opportunities. But that's possible only when he manifests the true meaning of 'Marathi-Manus Jaga Ho' - wake up!”
Hi, friends! This is an excerpt from a pretty thought-provoking article – Marathi Manus, Lead or Misled?, written by my good blogger friend, Neeraj Shinde in his blog - the Neeraj Norms...., that I read a couple of days ago and was overwhelmed.
The ground-breaking article has been adjudged as Blogadda’s “Spicy Saturday Picks” for the last week.Blogadda says – “This post is a must read for all of us so that none of us get into regionalism. It is important for all of us to realize that we are ‘Indians’ first and then comes our States, where we live. Neeraj has this post with a very strong and relevant message. Neeraj, it’s applaudable for someone to raise and write about it.”
And I feelcompelled to share my comment that I posted on his blog about the article, with you all here as I fervently believe that the article deserves to be circulated to the maximum possible since this is a highly sensitive and significant issue of national interest and the article does optimum justice to it.
My comment:Nice expression of the status quo in Maharashtra, Neeraj!
It's not the awesome leadership of Raj Thakerey, it's the awe and hatred inspiring hooliganism of his under-developed psyche that has made what he is, out of him today.
All thanks to his diseased weaknesses, he now stands head and shoulders with the likes of the indifferent and inhuman underworld dons. If he, at all, had the true strength and integrity required for being a decent leader of the masses, things would have been different, today, and he would have won hearts all over the country.
What can an ungrateful pervert of a son do for his own mother, when he can't value his very roots and doesn't care for his grandma?
He needs to be told that we, here, in the far-flung Andaman & Nicobar Islands have named the PortBlairAirport after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) who was a Maharashtrian and not an Andamani. He didn't stay back in the Andamans after the Indian Independence. But, nevertheless, there's no prejudice anywhere in anybody's mind about the designation of the Airport.
"Sarva dharma sambhav" and "Vasudhaiiva Kutumbakam" are the peerless values and ideologies that have made the entire world proud of India.
I reckon the Maharashtra government needs to forcefully implement adult education in a bid to educate the pathetically ignorant so-called self-proclaimed leaders like Raj Thakerey.
Roshmi Sinha says: "When there is any act of terror or any strike on our nation by any foreign power, these same "outsiders" are the ones who defend the motherland. The so-called "sons of the soil" are found "cowering in a deeply dug rat hole" having perhaps wet themselves..."
I am referring to the proponent of the 'MM theory' and his ilk elsewhere in this country...
Bangalore too has that breed of 'worthies'. Just check how many from this part of the country join the army/navy/air force/commando teams...
Who are the ones protecting the vast coastland, our skies and our lands... from external threats...??? The vast majority of them, that is. Staying away from home and hearth for days on end… If these folks/states start developing this 'MM theory' (albeit with suitable customization) what would be the scenario...??? I shudder to think.”
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Business, Friends, Music, Theatre, anything novel, constructive and creative that helps bring smiles on peoples' faces and in their lives. I love to listen to Ghazals; am almost crazy about them. Love,peace, togetherness and success is what I am, always, on the hunt for. "BIG B"- Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest ideals in my life. Human psychology and philosophy are my intellectual interests.
Sports:
INDIAN CRICKET TEAM.
Music:
GHAZALS, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Md. Rafi, Kishore Kumar & the one & only- Michael Jackson. PLUS- Enrique Iglesias, J-Lo, and Shakira (Wooow...)
Movies:
ENGLISH: Pearl Harbour, Tomorrow never dies, Die hard, Speed-1&2, Under Siege-1&2, Basic Instincts and The Anaconda.
HINDI: Any "BIG B", Maine pyaar kiya, QSQT, DDLJ, Baiju Baawra, Jo jeeta, wohi Sikander, Lagaan, Hey Raam, Aks, and Chupke-chupke etc.
TV:
Oprah, News, Reality shows, Music shows, KBC etc. I hate Hindi soap operas (serials). I love Cricket shows and live telecast of matches.
Books:
The Ramayana, The Mahabharata and The Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta.
Heroes/Idols:
Swami Vivekanada, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Narayana Murthy, Bill Gates, Baba Ramdev, "BIG B" and Sachin Tendulkar.
