Video made with guards’ help?
Was the video of half-naked tribal Jarawa women dancing before tourists in the Andaman and Nicobar islands made with the help of local forest guards? This is a question being asked by mandarins in the ministry of forests and environment (MoEF) since there are allegations that local tour operators in cohorts with forest guards helped put this video together.
Mr Dalip Kumar, IG forests at MoEF denied any knowledge of officials involved in this act. “The Andaman Islands are administered by the Andaman and Nicobar Island administration under the ministry of home. We do not have direct jurisdiction over the forests in these islands. The staff are not answerable to us though we serve as an appellate authority,” Mr Kumar explained.
Tribal affairs minister K.P. Singh Deo who has strongly condemned the incident, points out that despite Indian forests and wildlife having been protected by tribal communities across the country, “forest officials have proved an impediment in the implementation of the Tribal Rights Act”.
On the subject of the Jarawa tribe, Mr Deo said, “Some years ago, when I went there by boat, they were hostile and used to shoot people by using bows and arrows. They are less hostile now. An area of 850 square metre had been demarcated for them which has now been increased to 1,028 square metre with another buffer zone of 800 square metre.”
“The Supreme Court had given a directive that all commercial organisations in this buffer zone be dismantled. The Andaman Trunk Road runs through it and is a lifeline for lakhs of people. Earlier, eight convoys were sent in one day which were reduced to four. The court gave a directive that the road be closed and a sea route and helicopters be used. I don’t know how far this is feasible.”
On the future of this small community of 400 Jarawa tribes, he said, “One group of experts believe these tribals should be left in their present condition while the other feels we should bring them into the mainstream. I believe a middle path is the best. We cannot expose them to mall culture and junk food and yet we cannot keep them for people to get Phds like beasts in a zoo,” he said.
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