I should clarify my stand. My objection was to the claim that an immortal cell
line in any way rescues a tribe.

I am not in principle opposed to genetic testing. There have been tests, by
various groups, that establish the Andamanese as the remnants of the first
humans in Asia, dating back 50,000 years or more. Such tests have a political
value, in that they establish the uniqueness of the Andamanese and the primacy
of their rights in the region.

There are problems with how the testing is actually done. International
guidelines call for acquiring informed consent from the person who is being
tested. In practice it is hard to see how such consent can be obtained, and
researchers usually resort to subterfuge. There should also be an understanding
of why the testing is being done. To my mind, if the testing benefits only us,
the larger society, and brings no benefits to the person being tested, it is
unconscionable. It is a way of using another person.

Madhusree

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