Hi Malini
I'll certainly share whatever I know but that doesn't make for a whole lot
of published resources. Madhusree and others who have worked in the Andamans
might give you sharper insights on the process of introducing alcohol in the
Andamans, which is in fact happening out there right now as we speak.
I do have some exposure to alcohol and its monetisation through my fieldwork
among the Kherwal (Santhal, Munda, Kharia) peoples of Dalma / Simplipal /
Subarnarekha basin and the Chenchu of Nallamala hills. If you're interested
we could probe this together and work toward a joint paper in a publication
/ forum where it will be seriously read / heard and discussed by people who
want to make a difference.
Arnab

Arnab Sen
Flat # 1024 Sector C Pocket 1
Vasant Kunj
New Delhi 110070 INDIA
Phones: Cell: (+91) 9811004308, Home: (+91 11) 26124928, Work (Direct): (+91
11) 41913365


On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 10:56 AM, Malini Shankar <mogli@...> wrote:

> Thank you Arnab, for this, more perspectives would certainly help in a
> bit
> of research and I would then like to do an article on this. Would you be
> able to tell me please what might have been the motive / intention for
> mainlanders to introduce liquor like in monetised societies? That obviously
> deviates from stress busting role of intoxicants. These things have a lot
> of
> cultural sanction. Opium is present in poppy seeds which is cooked into a
> delicacy in Karnataka for instance and can also be a great palliative to
> terminlly ill cancer patients ... we need to understand all dimensions
> Malini
>
> 2009/3/2 Arnab Sen
<arnabsen.anthropology@...<arnabsen.anthropology%40gmail.com>
> >
>
>
> > The British, and people from mainland India introduced the indigenous
> > people
> > on the Andamans to liquor. Indigenous people on the mainland do have
> > traditional liquors and beer-like beverages which in pre-monetised
> > societies
> > worked well as stress relievers but have of late been badly exploited by
> a
> > liquor mafia.
> > Arnab Sen
> > Flat # 1024 Sector C Pocket 1
> > Vasant Kunj
> > New Delhi 110070 INDIA
> > Phones: Cell: (+91) 9811004308, Home: (+91 11) 26124928, Work (Direct):
> > (+91
> > 11) 41913365
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 12:01 AM, Narayan Choudhary <
> > choudharynarayan@... <choudharynarayan%40gmail.com><choudharynarayan%
> 40gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> > > This is the greatest loss of the Great Andamanese community at present.
> > > Nao
> > > Jr. was not only the best, and I would say the most healthy person in
> the
> > > community when were there for five months during 2005-2006. This really
> > > peeves me a lot. He was the first person who could say something about
> > the
> > > community and its past with some authenticity. He was also the best
> > person
> > > to know the language and ranked first in our ratings of the natives who
> > > spoke the language. His concern for his community was shown several
> > times.
> > > But all the time there was some disappointment that became visible
> > > everytime
> > > we tried to touch his innards.
> > >
> > > Well, Nao did like to drink but I cannot think of him as a drunkard! He
> > > enjoyed a good health. He drank sensibly. This was clear from his
> > > sensibility. It must be something else that killed him. I do not want
> to
> > > accuse the deaf, incapable administration, but for sure it is the lack
> of
> > > care that thas killed him. It is also true that at times he felt a
> broken
> > > man - a man who had seen several things lose within his lifetime -
> name,
> > > offsprings, betrayal, identity. All for no fault of his. He must have
> > > thought the life had no purpose now.
> > >
> > > I had seen him being upbeat about leading the life of a sailor after he
> > > retired as the Ward Boy from the Strait Island dispensary. His loss
> > spells
> > > the loss of the greatest conscience keeper of the community.
> > >
> > > Everybody dies a day. Lets console ourselves with this eternal truth. I
> > > express my heartfelt condolence to the bereaved son Bea and wish him
> new
> > > strenths so that he faces the world with the new fervour and sets an
> > > example
> > > for his community.
> > >
> > > Let the deceased soul remain in peace! Amen!
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 2:29 PM, Pankaj Sekhsaria <
> psekhsaria@... <psekhsaria%40gmail.com><psekhsaria%40gmail.com>
> > <psekhsaria%40gmail.com>
>
> >
> > > >wrote:
> > >
> > > > Great Andamanese Population Reduced by One
> > > > Feb 22, 2009 at 11:59 PM
> > > >
> > > > http://andamanchronicle.com/content/view/520/27/
> > > >
> > > > Port Blair, Feb 22: The dwindling Great Andamanese tribe today lost
> one
> > > > of its elder members named Nao Jr. He was around 58 years old.
> > > >
> > > > Nao was admitted to GB Pant Hospital almost two weeks ago on
> complaint
> > > > of stomach ache. Later the doctors at GB Pant diagnosed him with
> kidney
> > > > failure due to heavy consumption of alcohol.
> > > > Sources informed that the authorities in the A&N Administration had
> > > > planned to refer Nao Jr. to Chennai for treatment after his health
> > > > started deteriorating day by day. But before they could, Nao breathed
> > > > his last at the hospital today in the morning hours.
> > > > Nao Jr is the younger brother of the deceased King Jirake. He has
> left
> > > > behind his wife Bao Jr. and a son named Bea.
> > > >
> > > > With the death of Nao, the Great Andamanese tribe who number around
> 100
> > > > including men, women and children has been reduced by one. The manner
> > in
> > > > which the members of the tribe are dying regularly due to alcoholism
> > has
> > > > again posed a serious question in front of the A&N Administration.
> With
> > > > the ineffective tribal policy of the Administration to assure the
> > > > existence of the aborigines, the never ending game of encroachment
> and
> > > > poaching in and around tribal reserves, how long can we expect the
> > > > aborigines to survive in the islands?
> > > >
> > > > Earlier the islands had lost nearly 8 members of the Onge tribe, the
> > > > reason not yet clear. This was was followed by one Jarawa member
> > assumed
> > > > to be killed in a battle between Indian poachers and now the death of
> > > > Nao Jr.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
> > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
> > > >
> > > > C/o Kalpavriksh
> > > > Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
> > > > 908 Deccan Gym
> > > > Pune 411004
> > > > India
> > > > Tel: 020 25654239
> > > > Mob: 09423009933
> > > > Email: psekhsaria@... <psekhsaria%40gmail.com> <psekhsaria%
> 40gmail.com> <psekhsaria%
> > 40gmail.com> <psekhsaria%
> > > 40gmail.com>
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Co-Ordinator,
> > > Third Students' Conference of Linguistics in India,
> > > Website: http://www.jnu.ac.in/conference/SCONLI/Index.html
> > >
> > > :*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
> > > Narayan Kumar Choudhary
> > > Doctoral Candidate
> > > Centre for Linguistics
> > > School of Languages, Literature and Culture Studies,
> > > Jawaharlal Nehru University,
> > > New Delhi-110067
> > > PH: +91+9868721878
> > > www.nkchoudhary.wordpress.com
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> ©
> Malini Shankar
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> Malini Shankar
> Environmental Journalist / Nature Photographer /
> TV & Radio Producer,
> # 1 / 1 "Amrutha" Police Station Road, (New # 3)
> Basavanagudi
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> mailto: mogli@... <mogli%40satyam.net.in>
> shankar.malini@... <shankar.malini%40gmail.com>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


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