NGO petitions against 'Jarwa tourism' in the Andamans

Survival International has managed to get over 7,000 signatures, against Jarawa tourism on the Andaman Grand Trunk Road in India’s archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar.

Survival International in its signature drive petition, pledged not to visit the Andaman Islands over their outrage at the degrading ‘human safaris’ to the Jarawa tribe.

They also questioned; Why the Indian government investing in this road when the alternative sea route would provide a faster, cheaper and more comfortable means of transport.

As per Survival International, Jarawa live in peace in their forest without the daily intrusion of hundreds of vehicles through their land.

Andaman Grand Trunk Road(AGT)

National Highway 223 (NH 223) is known as the Great Andaman Trunk Road.

It is two-lane highway that connects parts of Middle and South Andaman and passes through the heart of Jarawa territory. It connects Port Blair and Diglipur in the Andaman and 

Nicobar Islands covering a distance of 360 km.

Populated towns in route of this Highway are Kadamtala, Billiground, Rangat and Mayabunder.

Due to human safaris for visiting the Jarawa people occurring on the road, Supreme Court ordered the road to be closed.

However the Andaman administration is defying this order by keeping it open but is looking for an alternative route by boat.

About Jarawa people

The Jarawa are one of the Adivasi indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in India.

Their present population is estimated at between 250–400 individuals.

Jarawa means "people of the earth" or "hostile people" in Aka-Bea.

In India, Jarawa are a designated as a Scheduled Tribe.

Along with other indigenous Andamanese peoples, they have inhabited the islands for at least several thousand years.

There is some indication that the Jarawa regarded the now-extinct Jangil tribe as a parent tribe from which they split centuries or millennia age. The Jarawa outnumbered Jangil and eventually out-survived.

The Jangil (also called the Rutland Island Aka Bea) were presumed extinct by 1931.

They were considered as one of the most isolated people on earth.

Jarawa are a hunter-gatherer tribe that has lived in the dense forests of Andaman Islands. They completely cut off from the outside world for thousands of years.

The Great Andamanese

Incidentally, the Jarawas are not the only indigenous group in Andaman and Nicobar islands facing a challenge to their existence.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to five different indigenous groups and the example of the "Great Andamanese" is often cited when it comes to deciding a future course for the Jarawas.

Only 52 members of the Great Andamanese tribe survive today.

Already, their tribal and linguistic distinctions have disappeared owing to interracial breeding.

According to latest estimates there are about 400 members of the Jarawa tribe currently and time could be running out fast for them. If unprotected, the Jarawas too could go the Great Andamanese way.

Why Survival International is opposing Jarawa tourism?

• Till a decade ago the name "Jarawa" people were considered as the bow and arrow-wielding tribesmen were known to be extremely hostile to outsiders.
• As they are considered as one of the most isolated people on earth.
• But at present scenario they are no more hostile.

Main reasons for destruction of lifestyle of Jawara’s

• Jarawas have begun shunning their traditional way of life for perks that come from being a tourist attraction.
• The tribesmen who have for generations survived on hunting and fishing now often ask for food and tobacco from tourists passing through their reserve forests.
• Many of the Jarawas who could only speak their native tongue are now fluent in Hindi, the language spoken by north Indians, many of whom have settled there.
• There was a recent incident when two Jarawa tribesmen got into a physical fight with each other before hundreds of onlookers under the influence of alcohol. This is simply unbelievable because there is no history of alcohol consumption among the Jarawa.
• According to experts, one of the key reasons for the changes in Jarawa lifestyle has been the construction of the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR), which passes through the heart of Jarawa territory.
• Indian government has never formally allowed outside contact with the Jarawas, critics argue that construction of the trunk road has led to free mixing with the tribe, often with disastrous consequences.
• There are instances of Measles and Malaria outbreak among the Jarawa as a result of frequent contact with outsiders and it could well be the beginning of the end for the tribe. If a deadly epidemic breaks out among them then the entire race will be simply wiped out.

Other threats Jarawa’s facing

• In 2011, a Jarawa youth was allegedly attacked and seriously injured by poachers from neighbouring Myanmar who often illegally cross the international maritime border to smuggle timber and wildlife from Andaman Islands. There have been similar reports of attacks on Jarawas in the past.

Supreme Court’s judgment, on ban on tourism

• Supreme Court has banned all tourism activity around the Jarawa territory and has ordered the creation of a buffer zone with a radius of five km around the Jarawa reserve where no commercial activity can take place.
• In addition, the apex court in its judgment in earlier this year also directed the local administration to restrict the number of visitors travelling through the trunk road and also strictly monitor and prevent any tourism activity related to the Jarawas.
• The Andaman administration in its 2004 Jarawa policy has called for maximum autonomy and minimum interference for the tribe.

Impact of Tourism

• A major problem Jarawa tribe is facing, is the volume of sightseeing tours that are operated by private companies, where tourists view, photograph or otherwise attempt interactions with Jarawas, who are often begging by the highway. These are illegal under Indian law.
• In March 2008, the Tourism Department of the Andaman and Nicobar administration issued a fresh warning to tour operators that attempting contact with Jarawas, photographing them, stopping vehicles while transiting through their land or offering them rides were prohibited under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956, and would be prosecuted under a strict interpretation of the statute.