Dear Friends and Sugato in particular,
Just for clarification, here it is not that the Minister wants 'his' ethnic
group to mainstream. Jual Oram is certainly from a tribal community himself, but
just because he is that does not necessarily mean that he, by default represents
the tribal communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The question of representation is certainly a very crucial one, and neither can
any NGO claim to do that.
Another fundamental point that we should understand about these communities in
the Andamans is that there is virtually no parallel to them in today's India, in
the context of their societies, their ways of life and the forest homes that
they live in. Comparisons with the situation of other tribal communities on
mainland India, though certainly valid, is very very limited and incomplete.
Further on the issue of representation, the question that also needs to be asked
is how can these people be really represented, if at all? Is there really space
for a community of 250 individuals in the case of the Jarawa, or 100 in the case
of the Onge to be honestly and fairly representated in this political system
that is based on majority. This is not just in the realm of rhetoric. Political
parties in the islands have clearly articulated that the first preference will
have to be given to the settlers from mainland India, who are now in substantial
majority in the islands. The total population the Andaman indigenous peoples
today is 500 individuals over four distinct communities - the total population
of the outside settlers here is some where around 350,000 and could be even
more....
There is also enough evidence from indigenous communities around the world and
in the Andamans itself, that mainstreaming as we understand it, has meant
annhilation of these peoples. In 1850 the population of the Great Andamanese was
somewhere in the range of 5000 people. The British tried to 'civilise' and
'mainstream' them and today they are only about 40 individuals. This is the
pretty much the road that the Onge and the Jarawa have been set on...
thanks
Pankaj Sekhsaria


C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana,
Pune 411004
India
Tel: + 91 20 5654239 / 5675450
Fax: 5654239
Email: pankajs@...
----- Original Message -----
From: radhakamath@...
To: andamanicobar@...
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 10:40 PM
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Fwd: Re: Oram wants to mainstream A&N tribals
inseven years


This is worse case scenario. Can we approach the supreme court/NHRC on this.

Radha

----- Original Message -----
From: Pankaj Sekhsaria <pankajandaman@...>
Date: Sunday, November 2, 2003 4:10 pm
Subject: [andamanicobar] Fwd: Re: Oram wants to mainstream A&N tribals in
seven years

>
>
> disgusting_100 <disgusting_100@...> wrote:Date: Sat, 01
> Nov 2003 14:09:38 -0000
> From: "disgusting_100"
> To: andamanicobar-owner@...
> Subject: Re: Oram wants to mainstream A&N tribals in seven years
>
> Its a very interesting perspective.
> A political leader wants his ethnic group to mainstream and an NGO
> thinks it shouldnt happen
>
> Lots of value judgements happening here
> Fundamentally - why should an ethnic group remain in the way it had
> for millenia when the world around them is changing
>
> And who decides to exclude them from the "benefits" of "development"
> (I guess I also mean who defines "benefits" and "development")
> Who indeed decides the tribal "cause"?
>
> Hmmmmm
>
> Sugato
>
>
> --- In andamanicobar@..., "pankajandaman"
>
> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Friends,
> > Hindustantimes.com is running a special series of five articles on
> the
> > situation on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The third article
> that
> > was
> > posted today, quotes the Tribal Welfare Minister and his plans for
> > mainstreaming the A&N tribals in the next seven years.
> > A worse fate for these tribal people could not have been conceived.
> > The story is pasted below and so is the link, which will help you
> > access the
> > other stories as well give you an oppurtunity to post your opinion
> in
> > the
> > matter
> > Pankaj Sekhsaria
> > (Kalpavriksh)
> >
> > Minister pokes stuffy nose in tribal matter
> > Shailesh Shekhar | Friday, October 31, 2003
> >
> > http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/andaman/jualoram.html
> >
> >
> > If Union Tribal Welfare Minister Jual Oram has his way, by 2009 no
> > tribal of
> > the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will anymore be part of the
> Primitive
> > Tribe
> > Groups.
> > Since 2002, his ministry has been working steadfastly to "reform
> the
> > tribals
> > and assimilate them with the mainstream." This is despite a court
> > order,
> > stopping all attempts to interfere either with the tribals or
> their
> > ways of
> > life and living.
> > Minus the Nicobarese, the Jarawas, the Sentinalese, the Shompens,
> the
> > Onges
> > and the Great Andamanese are currently classified under the
> Primitive
> > Tribe
> > Group (PTG) by the tribal affairs ministry. (Indeed, this is the
> > first time
> > the Government of India has a separate ministry on Tribal Affairs
> and
> > a
> > Cabinet rank minister to head it.)
> > The minister says the PTG development has been a focus area for the
> > ministry. In 2002, the ministry drafted a seven-year plan to take
> the
> > category tribes out of the group. Currently, 75 tribes in India
> are
> > part of
> > the PTG.
> > The minister says earlier efforts "proved disastrous" because of
> the
> > gap
> > between the plans and their implementation at every level -
> > economically,
> > culturally and socially. "This time, we are engaging with NGOs
> such as
> > Ramakrishna Mission, and our Project Officers are going to be in
> > constant
> > touch with the tribes to take care in every possible manner."
> > The minister, of course, has assured himself that his plan neither
> > violates
> > court orders and nor interferes with tribal life. ".we just want
> to
> > know
> > about them. It is not right to leave them as is. They should
> realise
> > their
> > surroundings - that a human race exists around them.
> > .we will deal with them anthropologically. People only offer
> > suggestions, we
> > want solutions."
> > On whether the Government of India has formulated any guidelines
> for
> > the
> > local administration vis-à-vis the handling of the tribals, he
> > says, "we
> > have asked them not to make the life of tribals difficult."
> >
> > Mr Oram is also certain that the Tourism Ministry plans for
> Andaman
> > and
> > Nicobar Islands must be implemented. "Tourism should happen. It
> will
> > not
> > disturb the tribals. They are a little away. Moreover, we will have
> > restrictions."
> > Incidentally, the minister is not part of the nodal group which
> has
> > drafted
> > the grand plan for tourism in the Bay of Bengal archipelago
> >
> > Samir Acharya of Society for Andaman & Nicobar Society (SANE),
> which
> > has
> > been working overtime for the tribals' cause, says the ministry's
> > plan need
> > to be shelved immediately.
> >
> > "It is the worst possible plan. They will never get away with it.
> > They have
> > almost finished the Andamanese and the Onges under the guise of
> > ameliorating
> > their living conditions. This plan should not be touched with a
> 20-
> > feet-long
> > pole."
> >
> >
> >
> > Kalpavriksh
> > Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
> > 908 Deccan Gymkhana
> > Pune 411004
> > India
> > Tel: + 91 20 5654239 / 5675450
> > Fax: 5654239
> > Email: kvriksh@v...
>
>
>
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