Dear Pankaj

In reply to your email below:

Been in the Andamans since January 2002. Spend more about 200 days a year there.

Interested in tourism and organic farming of high value agriculture in the
Andamans & the 'greening' of development efforts in these fields. Personally
involved in tourism ventures: resort and charter flight.

Would be especially keen to see a structure eveloving wherein:

1. There are clear guidelines for tourism

2. These guidelines are being strictly implemented. No point in me complying
with CRZ if my competitors build on the waterline. This, perhaps is where NGO's
have a big role to play. Similarly with issues relating to employment for
locals/not encouraging migration through outsourcing jobs etc: we are self
regulating at the moment because there is no competition. What happens if
tommorrow i have to compete with someone who staffs from the mainland or even
thailand? I may be forced to do the same to compete in order to match the
quality of staff. Beats the whole purpose of tourism in A&N as a less
environmentaly damaging vehicle to tackle unemployment. Self regulation is a
good start but not the whole solution. Need a legal framework - which is being
ENFORCED - that ensures environmental and social issues are adequately dealt
with.

This is possible if the administration, NGOs and private sector entrepreneurs
are willing to cooperate.

Samit




On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 Pankaj wrote :
>Dear Friends,
>There have been some interesting mails in the last couple of weeks that are
>actually about this andamanicobar egroup itself. There was one by Bijoy
>asking for a more focussed discussion on certain topics, a list of which he
>has indicated for all of us to use. I do think that it is a damn good idea
>and needed as well.
>The other mail was from Col Cherian asking how many people on this group are
> from the islands. This too is a very interesting and important question, and
>may I dare say that this number would indeed be small. What might be useful
>is if members here who are from the islands, did send in a mail
>acknowledging this and also giving a couple of lines about themselves.
>Reaching out to the people in the islands in indeed very important and the
>greater the participation we get from there, the better it is. I have tried
>to get in touch with a number of individuals and institutions in the islands
>who do have access to emails and have send all of them invitations to join.
>The response has not been very encouraging. There is also the possibility
>that a lot of people who might be interested and have access to email
>(that's important) may not know about this group either. Help, therefore is
>welcome from all the present members on this group.
>
>Let me here also go back to the suggestions made my Bijoy.
>When the idea of creating this egroup first came up, our main aim was to
>create a forum of interested people who would remain informed and regularly
>updated on issues in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It was also hoped that
>this general body of information and opinion could then lead to spin offs
>with different people,with more specific interests getting into some greater
>detail within a specific context. The group has indeed been a very
>stimulating and informative forum, with the membership now crossing 400
>individuals. So in a sense the initial objective of setting up the group is
>on the way of being achieved. here is where Bijoy's suggestion also becomes
>very relevant, but it would depend on interest and initiative of the 400
>members of even a certain part of it.
>
>It might now be the right time where some sub discussion groups might need
>to be created where certain specific issues alone are dealt with. What we
>would need are a few individuals to take the initiative on this, based on
>their interests and let the discussion spin off on those lines. I can offer
>to help and coordinate a few of these, but taking on everything will make
>things rather difficult for me.
>
>What might also help is if there is some effort to look at all the emails
>that have been floated on this group and club them broadly according to the
>topic they deal with. A synthesis for particular topics could then be tried,
>which could become the basis for further and more specific discussion. I
>have been trying to catalouge all the mails in these categories and could
>help out with those who might be interested in taking this up.
>
>Lets see how we can take this forward.
>pankaj
>
>----- Original Message -----
> From: C.R Bijoy <rights@...>
>To: <andamanicobar@...>
>Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2004 2:45 PM
>Subject: [andamanicobar] Where to from here?
>
>
> >
> > This group consists of honourable people who are "enlightened",
> > "concerned" but "privileged", searching to comprehend the issue of saving
> > both the "pristine" forests and peoples in A&N. However, most of the
> > debates have NOT been based on an arrived at minimum framework with which
> > one can sufficiently
> > understand the A&N situation with specific reference to these people and
> > the territories to which they BELONG to in a (read 'their') "particular"
> > way that most others in A&N and outside including all of US cannot claim
> > to be due to historical reasons.
> >
> > Most often members of this group have been concerned about their own
> > personal interests, concerns, opinions, passions etc rather than the
> > concrete situation of the object/s which/who are under scrutiny. The
> > postings are nevertheless been highly valuable and informative,
> > insightful, fascinating and often deeply passionate. Perhaps the time has
> > come to consolidate. ........
> >
> > Sumant's observations/proposition is therefore timely...contains a
> > comprehensive framework, given the basis for a direction...CAN WE STICK TO
> > THIS AND THINK AHEAD..CONSOLIDATE IDEAS THUS FAR
> >
> > Keeping this perspective/framework,
> > * what laws and components of the laws (as well as rules & regulations
> > pertaining to them) that are directly applicable and operational in A&N as
> > a whole are inconsistent;
> >
> > * what programmes/activities in A&N are inconsistent;
> >
> > * What are the changes in policies, programmes, laws, rules etc that are
> > to be changed?
> >
> > * what strategy/strategies are required to push forward these changes?
> >
> > * By whom, where and when are these to be operationalised?
> >
> > These are the challenges before the members of this group.
> >
> > - bijoy
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>------
> > > Dear Mr Raj,
> > >
> > > The point I want to make is that some people seem to think tourism is
> > > the solution for such places as the andamans. People come, see nature
> > > and go. simple isn't it? I mean, clean and eco friendly and all that.
> > > But then you have to provide infrastructure. People have to stay
> > > somewhere and well, defecate and throw beer bottles around etc. etc.
> > > Then this pristine place which is not so pristine anymore, gets
> > > garbage, plastic bottles (jarawas have started using them too). As
> > > far as the Jarawas and "community tourism" are concerned it boggles
> > > my mind to even think about it. Obviously we are not considering the
> > > the Jarawas' frame of reference. I mean why should the jarawa do it?
> > > Someone who has everything he needs right around him. If he wants one
> > > fish he doesn't kill ten. I guess we have to educate him about how to
> > > be greedy. And after all what is this tourism being promoted for?
> > > Obviously some one wants to make money. Agreed, the local economy
> > > needs money to run. If there are people who are responsible and can
> > > ensure "safe tourism" (I don't know what that means), maybe it can be
> > > done. But we are so notorious at breaking rules that the whole thing
> > > seems dicidedly disastrous. In this regard, please refer to article
> > > no 124. Someone wanted the jarawas to be part of "pristine nature"
> > > etc etc. This is the kind of ignorant thinking which has killed the
> > > aboriginals. For gods sake, these are people, not monkeys and the
> > > Andamans are not a Zoo. The lesson we haven't learnt is that these
> > > people are dying out due to dieases introduced by us. At least let
> > > them make an informed choice. The sentinalese have done so. They see
> > > airplanes and ships but have no intention of "joining the
> > > mainstream". They probably consider their stream as THE mainstream.
> > > Would you like to join? The inevitable integration will follow, by
> > > which time hopefully, they have developed sufficient resistance. You
> > > say "it takes generations to create a responsible tourist" that is
> > > all the more reason to stay away. Please read Madhusree Mukherjee's
> > > book on the subject. Please try to understand that the Tribals of the
> > > Andamans are not your tribals on main land. No doubt the tribals on
> > > main land are facing the same problems viz. loss of identity, culture
> > > etc etc. No doubt NGOs here are doing excellent work. But why has it
> > > become necessary for the NGOs to help them in the first place, it is
> > > because the "dominant cultures" have stolen their land and means of
> > > livelyhood. Spare the Jarawas that. They are not malnourished, in
> > > fact lots of outsiders look malnourished in comparison. The Ongies
> > > are well on their way to extinction, so now one more island will be
> > > open for exploitaion and destruction. It is just a matter of time.
> > >
> > > Look at the American Indians and see what "community tourism" has
> > > done to them.
> > >
> > > So what we should do is shut down the ATR, fence off the Jarawa
> > > areas. Stop all contacts unless they want it. Keep "doing" tourism in
> > > other selected Islands. But LEAVE THE TRIBALS ALONE. The Jarawa does
> > > not need any NGO to come and help. If they want it let them ask. In
> > > the meanwhile we should ask them for some help, in understanding
> > > nature, medicines, birth control and some lessons on civilisation
> > > would do us good for a start.
> > >
> > > I think all this talk of "community tourism" is nothing but a way of
> > > making money. Imagine a Jarawa guide. What would he show you? His
> > > hut? woman, child? Then what happens? You pay him, with what? Money?
> > > To him a 500 rupee note is as good as kitchen midden trash.
> > >
> > > Please do not promote "community tourism" in any way.
> > >
> > > What more can I say
> > >
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Sumant
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
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>
>


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