2005 - Indian Social Institute

hours before the tsunami disas ter struck the coastline. JNU researchers, who are in the island studying
the tribals lifestyle, claimed that tribals who were not part of government sponsored welfare pro gramme
suffered less than those tribals who had been rehabilitated by the state. Professor Anvita Abbi, Centre of
Linguistic and English, JNU, who is conducting a research project in these islands said that one of her
research student Pramod Kumar (still in Andaman and Nicobar islands) told her that Jarawa tribe were
able to under stand and interpret the changing pat terns of wave hours before the disaster struck, last
Sunday. "Jarawa tribes then climbed off to higher places and sur vived the devastation," she claims. "One
of the unnamed tribal aged between 65 to 68 years had told Pramod yesterday, that his grandfather has
cau tioned him on the Tsunami during his childhood. When this tribal saw the changing patterns of waves,
he raised an alarm and saved his community from the calamity," she says. The historical facts confirm
that there have been similar Tsunami calamity in 1941 in the same area which had also caused
widespread damage and researchers say that these tribals have developed natural instincts to visualise
such disasters. (Statesman 3.1.05)
Arrows for rescuers say tribals are safe (6)
NEW DELHI, Jan. 3. — In the first con tact between the administration and the endangered Sentelese
aborigines in Sentenel Island in Andaman and Nicobar, the tribals greeted the Coast Guard helicopters by
firing arrows at them, an indication that outsiders are "not welcome."
The photographs of the Sentenel trib als firing arrows were displayed to news men here by director general
of Coastguard Vice-Admiral AK Singh who said these were shot when the chopper was about 50 metres
from ground on the island. The Coast Guard helicopters' landing on the island was the first sign that these
aborigines, who are threatened with extinction, have survived 'Sunday's cata strophic tidal waves. Mr Singh
said his personnel had later made a reconnaissance of the island to find that the tribals were safe on the
high grounds. Similarly, Coast Guard teams had come across Onge tribals, who num ber about 100, on
the great Nicobar islands and found that most of them were also safe. He said there were similar reports
on the safety of the other threat ened aborigines inhabiting various islands. (Statesman 4.1.05)
Commission on tribals may be reconstituted (6)
NEW DELHI, Jan. 3.- After fears of the tribals of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands being severely
affected by the tsunami, the Union Cabinet is meeting tomorrow to consider the reconstitution of the
National Commis sion to study different features about tribals. The Centre wants the commission to study
issues re garding a host of tribes spread all over the country. They can be denotified as nomadic and
semi-nomadic tribes. They are spread in different parts of the country includ ing the North-East. The
Andaman and Nicobar Island is host to a large number of tribes including Ongis, Jarewas, Senitalese and
the Great Andamanis. Many of them are small in number, an initial report suggests. They have survived
the tsunami. A host of health related measures will also be placed be fore the Cabinet. They include a
scheme sponsored by the Centre during the Tenth Plan period to provide financial assistance for
upgrading and strengthening emergency ward facilities of state hospitals of town and cities located on
national highways. This would ensure that many people affected would survive as they would get
treatment quick ly. There could be many cases of road accidents as well. (Statesman 4.1.05)
Andaman tribes escape without major damage (6)
New Delhi: Tsunami has not been as big an an thropological disaster for primitive tribes of Andaman &
Nicobar as was being feared, main tains the tribal ministry. Jarawas, a heritage tribe, numbering around
270 are reported safe. But 3,000 Nicobarese are missing, sources said.
Ahead of the Wednesday's crucial meeting in the cabinet secretariat on relief and rehabilita tion, tribal
ministry has prepared a detailed note on the condition of six tribes inhabiting A&N Islands.
Since the Jarawas, who inhabit the middle and south Andaman Islands, have been at the fo cus, ministry
maintains that they have not been affected at all. Ministry also maintains that days before tsunami,
government as part of a national policy on Jarawas had exclusively reserved 1,028 square kilometres of
forest area for them. So far, the worst affected have been 26,000 Nicobarese, who inhabit the Car Nicobar
group of islands, mainly a plain area. But Great Andamanese, part of the Negrito group, who live in Strait
Island in Andaman were not so lucky. Though only 50 in number their habitation has suffered "substantial
dam age." They have been brought to Port Blair and tribal ministry plans to undertake an intensive
rehabilitation project for them. Onges, another tribe of Negrito group, inhabiting Dugong Creek, Hut Bay
and South Bay in little An daman are reported safe. (Times of India 5.1.04)