Hi Sugato,
there have been detailed and interesting responses to your thought provoking
questions but after reading your questions one question comes to my mind.
Why should they not decide for themselves what they need? I feel that in
most of our minds there is a very strong divide between "them" and "us".
Somehow in most articulations "us" seem to know the best and "them" because
they live in the forest know not what is good for them.
In my opinion the best that our society can do is stop colonising on the
territories of those who have not yet decided to go the way we have. That is
what closing of the GTR does, gives them time to decide what they want to
do. By constantly forcing them to interact with us and imposing ourselves on
them we are putting a pressure and introducing an external velocity of
change. Least we can do is trust them that they can take a decision for
themselves and let them have the space and time to do so.
Neema Pathak


----- Original Message -----
From: Meena Menon <cats@...>
To: <andamanicobar@...>
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Fwd: Re: Oram wants to mainstream A&N tribals
inseven years


> Dear Rainer and others
> I visited the Andamans islands as a tourist a couple of years ago and
drove
> through the ATR- a road that caused the deaths of so many Jarawa. The
local
> administration has actually put up signs along this road saying beware of
> Jarawa as if they are some dangerous creatures. While the government has
> infested the beautiful islands with other settlers, there is no attempt to
> understand the indigenous tribes. In fact the local people are hostile to
> the Jarawa and often beat them up. The Jarawa dressed flamboyantly dressed
> in red, often stop the cars and beg for food. It was a horrific sight to
> witness. I think we have taken away their beautiful islands and ruined
them
> as a people. In fact contact with our so called wonderful civilisation has
> decimated these people- there was a huge measles epidemic among them after
> some "wellintentioned" government efforts to give them food some years
ago.
> Oram is only furthering this stupid process and will probably finish off
> what remains of these people.
> I saw at that time that some people were interacting with the Jarawa and
> liasing with them. They have become bizarre tourist attractions - and know
> tourists can give them food- in fact they stopped our vehicle and took
away
> some things- this is the result of their contact with our great world.
> I really dont know what can be done?am not even sure tourism is such a
great
> idea having been there once and seen the damage we tourists can cause. The
> Jarawa seem so remote from all this- how can we help them? CAn someone who
> has studied them give any constructive ideas? Is leaving them alone the
best
> option?
> meena
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rainer Hoerig" <rainer@...>
> To: <andamanicobar@...>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 1:53 PM
> Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Fwd: Re: Oram wants to mainstream A&N tribals
> in seven years
>
>
> Dear Sugato,
>
> you have raised a point that is indeed relevant in the situation of the
> Andaman tribes people. The world they are living in is indeed so
> different from the one we "civilized" have created around us that it is
> very difficult to imagine a meaningful communication happening between
> those two worlds. For instance, if you would meet a Jarawa on M.G. Road,
> what would you like to tell him? Even if you meet within their own
> habitat, the forest, what will you talk about - the weather, latest
> Bollywood movie, the war in Irak?
>
> The Andaman tribes people are different in the way that their contact
> with modern way of life is nearly nothing. You may visit Adivasi
> villages in Madhya Pradesh or Jharkhand for instance and you will be
> able to talk to these people in Hindi at least and you can ask them
> about their problems and how they imagine them to be solved. After a
> visit to the Islands about two years ago I can tell you: Encountering a
> Jarawa you are lost of speech, you do not know their habits, you cannot
> judge their reactions. How then can you try to find out whether they
> like the settlers or not, whether they would like to have a road through
> their forest home or not? Well, in case of the road at least, they have
> made their stand very clear by raiding the construction camps many
> times. But in many other issues, it is not that easy.
>
> Mr. Oram is a catastrophe. He is an Indian Uncle Tom. How can he decide
> what is best for the tribes people in the Andamans whom he has never
> encountered? We should enshure that nothing is been forced on the jungle
> dwellers, that they can exercise their free will towards development or
> not. Development again is a construct of our world with hardly any
> relevance to theirs.
>
> A last point I would like to make.
>
> In the discussion about tourism it is good to first stick in your pole
> and express your doubts about the harmfull effect on the tribes people.
> I presume that if the administration would simultanously close the road
> and effectively take care that no intrusion by settlers can happen into
> the tribes territories, then I can see not reason why the visit of
> tourists on other islands may harm the Jarawas. Instead of fundamentally
> opposing the tourism plan, why not try to strike a bargain by putting
> the closure of the ATR as a precondition? Anyway, after the closure of
> most forest operation the island's economy needs some push, some new
> direction. I think that tourism, if done in an ecological friendly
> matter, is not the worst option for the A & N islands.
>
> Any comments? I would be glad.
>
> Rainer Hoerig, correspondent for German media in Pune
>
>
>
> Pankaj Sekhsaria schrieb:
>
> >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...
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner online.Post your profile.
> >
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> >andamanicobar-unsubscribe@...
> >
> >
> >
> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://in.docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> andamanicobar-unsubscribe@...
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://in.docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> andamanicobar-unsubscribe@...
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://in.docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>