Category Archives: Andaman and Nicobar Islands

“Andaman and Nicobar islands, union territory of India were inhabited by 14 aboriginal tribes. Some of these tribal populations have already become extinct, and the numbers of the existing ones are also dwindling. Across India, most of the tribals have made the shift to agriculture. Only tiny groups like Jarawas remain hunter-gatherers. This makes them culturally different.” – Surabhi Sinha in “Save Jarawa” (Times of India, 2 June 2021)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/phases-of-life/save-jarawa-32818/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=14820

“[The Jarawa’s] knowledge of indigenous plants, herbs, diseases, and creatures of the jungle is immense and needs no schooling. No one can really educate them further. It is we, who need to be educated because soon all this knowledge will evaporate, with the immanent danger of the extinction of the tribe.” – Anvita Abbi (B.B. Borkar Chair of Comparative Literature, Goa University, formerly Professor of Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi) in “Proud not primitive” (Survival International)
www.notprimitive.in
https://joharjournal.org/adivasi-creation-myths-an-enquiry-into-our-beginnings/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22274

“[T]he situation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stands out in stark relief. We have here a situation where the protection of the indigenous peoples, the forests and the islands’ biodiversity including its rich bird life are all intricately linked. […] The population of the indigenous communities on the other hand (Onges – 100 and the Jarawas – 375) is extremely small and has remained steady over the many decades. The situation clearly demands careful intervention. One such framework was provided by the orders of the Supreme Court, which were passed in 2002 in response to a public interest litigation filed by non-governmental organisations. […] Nearly a decade later, many of these orders have not been implemented.” – Pankaj Sekhsaria in “An intricate web” (The Hindu, 4 February 2012)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=7364

“These people are some of the most ancient remnants of human race still surviving. […] Very little can be done now to save the Andamanese proper who have paid for their friendliness by being driven to the verge of extinction and it now is a question of time before they would completely disappear.”– B.S. Guha in “Report of a Survey of Inhabitants of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands During 1948-49” (Bulletin of the Department of Anthropology, Government of India, 1952); quoted by R.K. Bhattacharya in “The Holistic Approach to Anthropology: B. S. Guha’s Vision of the Anthropological Survey of India” (Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, 2012-2013, ANSI journal 2012-13.pdf), p. 368
https://indianculture.gov.in/reports-proceedings/journal-anthropological-survey-india
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=26863

“Geologically the A&N Islands are the submerged southwards extensions of the ArakanYoma mountain range of Myanmar. The Islands have a total land area of 8,249 km2, of which the northern Andaman group constitutes 6,408 km2 and the southern Nicobars 1,841 km2. […] The Islands have been home to indigenous tribal communities for over 20,000 years.” – Government of India report “Bulwark Against Falling off the Map: State Action Plan on Climate Change, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2013” (Draft – November 2013), p. 11
http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Andaman-and-Nicobar.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=26863

“The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a chain of 572 islands of which a little more than 30 are inhabited. They constitute 0.2 per cent of India’s land mass but provide for 30 per cent of the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). […] The government aims to acquire 60 small and large passenger and cargo ships [and] buy luxury cruise ships for wealthier visitors, to replace the ageing, basic vessels that are available.” – Rajat Arora (Economic Times, 26 September 2015)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/modi-governments-rs-10000-crore-plan-to-transform-andaman-and-nicobar-islands/articleshow/49111067.cms
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=26863

“Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep are not members of any of the Zonal Councils. However, they are presently special invitees to the Southern Zonal Council.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_India
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=13904