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The Government & Ministry of Tribal and Home Affairs Has No Logic, They Just Decide on Their Own: Member of Parliament Port Blair, Aug. 2: Briefing the media about the discussions and decisions taken by the standing committee of the island development authority in its meeting held on 26th July 2010 at New Delhi, the Member of Parliament Shri Bishnu Pada Ray said, “The government and the Ministry of Tribal and Home Affairs have no logic. They just decide everything on their own”.
“They have decided in a meeting held on August 2009 that the Andaman Trunk Road will be closed for tourists in view of the Jarawa. They decided this without consulting with anybody. The government has decided that the tourists should go through sea route for which WAPCOS has been given the assignment to study and submit report”.
“I have strong objections to this which I raised during the meeting of the standing committee. There are 7 meters high waves in the islands for nearly 6 months and it is impossible for people to travel by sea during this time. Even the Administration is of my view that the ATR should be open if we need to have connectivity with the north and also because of security reasons”, Ray said.
“The Buffer Zone was declared in the year 2007 by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. This was done to increase the Jarawa resources and to see to it that no one disturbs them. I am surprised that there was no consultation done before such decisions were taken”.
“As a result of the decision to implement Buffer Zone 31 villages will be affected around the Jarawa reserve which means a total of 21,000 people just for the sake of 365 Jarawas. These villages include the pre 1942 villages and the settlement villages like Collinpur, Mahuadera, Tushnabad etc.”, commented the MP.
“According to reports, in 1888 the Jarawa population was 1250. In 1931 it was just 70, in 1951 – 50, 1961- 500, 1981 – 200, 2001 – 241 and in 2010 it is 365. Does anyone think how the Jarawa population has reduce so much?”
“In 1999 there was an attack of measles among the Jarawa and 74 Jarawa had died. It is only after 1950’s that we came in touch with them and there was no such epidemic. What then happened in 1999?”
“The answer is that the Jarawa have malaria both positive and negative. They have pneumonia, measles, skin diseases, viral infections, mums, stomach infections and are also malnourished. Moreover why do people not think as to why the Jarawa come to the settler villages”.
“Is it logic to reserve 4 square kilometer of forest land for a single Jarawa?” the Member of Parliament said.
“I strongly suggest that the Buffer Zone is lifted. Else thousands of villagers will have to be evicted. Moreover I also strongly suggest that the Jarawa are made literate by admitting them to Ashram Schools, where they can learn our ways and also theirs”, he said.
Giving examples of other tribes of the islands, the MP said, “We can learn from the Great Andamanese tribe. Some children have joined the Industrial Training Institute and are studying well. See the Nicobarese. They are doing so well and excel in so many fields”.
“While we should think on educating the Jarawa, I also strongly feel that the Administration should decide for a special package for the pre-1942 settlers and the settlers brought by the government. They have been living in the islands for so long and their requirement of forest should also be met. These people should be allowed to hunt deers, wild bores, fish and extract forest produce from certain earmarked forest areas, as they have been used to all these for years”.
“If you tell a Bengali not to eat fish, can they agree”, Ray asked.
“If this is not possible then how can you dictate to the old settlers for whom deer, wild bore, fish etc. have been a staple food for years together”.
“We should therefore think a bit logically. Jarawa is our dharowar. I expect that the government will not yield to international pressures on the Jarawa issue as they know little about our tribe and the isalnds’ situation”, added the Member of Parliament Shri Bishnu Pada Ray. |
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