Latest news with #GreatAndamanese
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Accessing Jarawa one of the oldest surviving hunter-gather tribes for census will not be tough: Experts
Conducting census among the six main indigenous tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will not be tough as the Central Government has already made contact and are running several welfare measures for these tribes, said physician Ratan Chandra Kar, speaking exclusively to The Hindu. The Government has formally announced that the 16th Census of India will take place in two phases, with the reference dates set as March 1, 2027, for most of the country and October 1, 2026. This census will include the first nationwide caste enumeration since 1931. Dr. Kar who played an important role in providing healthcare to the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands began his work with the tribes in 1998, combating a devastating measles outbreak in 1999 that threatened the tribe's existence. The Jarawas are one of the world's oldest surviving tribes and are mostly hunter-gatherers, living in nomadic bands of 40-50 individuals. 'Currently the population of the Jarawa tribe has grown from 260 to 647 which is good steady growth,'' he said. Explaining the population growth trajectory of the tribe he said that in the month of September 1998, Jarawas met the local population. 'At that time, their population was 260 and as of today, their population has increased to 647. This increase has been possible and achieved on account of the Central Government's successful attempt to establish meaningful contact with them, winning their trust and developing friendly relations,' he said. Dr. Kar added that the Government has been able to provide sustained, targeted, and proactive medical care as and when required and because of this 'we have successfully countered all such occurrences of new diseases/infections (measles, malaria, conjunctivitis, mumps, hepatitis, and others) without any significant mortality. The policy decision taken to provide proactive and preventive medical coverage without interfering in their own medicinal practices has led to this achievement of increase in population which currently stands at 647,' he explained, adding that this trust will ensure that officials get full access during the up-coming census activity. Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Nicobarese, and Shompen. Speaking about the impact of Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) in terms of access and intrusion in the tribal settlement he said that the best chance of survival for the Jarawas is ``we leave them alone with minimal intervention''. 'The tribe doesn't suffer from any lifestyle disease including heart problems, diabetes, hypertension etc, deliveries are almost always normal and normal life span is up to 50 plus now. We only need to offer modern medical care as a supplement to their own system of natural medicine and immunity,' he said. Dr. Kar has suggested that the ATR while being the lifeline impacting few lakhs of people staying in South Andaman, Middle Andaman and North Andaman, brings Jarawas much closer to the local population. 'Regulating traffic movement through ATR will ensure that the balance of ensuring convenience of local population and keeping Jarawas at bay from local population. This is vital for their survival,' he added.
The Print
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Tribals in Great Nicobar not against development but lack info about mega project: NCST member
In an interview with PTI, Lakra said she led an NCST team to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from June 5 to 7 to review the issues faced by the tribal communities. The project, titled Holistic Development of Great Nicobar, involves the construction of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant over more than 160 sq. km of land. This includes around 130 sq. km of pristine forest inhabited by the Nicobarese, a Scheduled Tribe (ST), and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), whose population is estimated to be between 200 and 300. New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Tribal communities in Great Nicobar are not opposed to development but lack sufficient information about a proposed mega infrastructure project on the island, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Asha Lakra has said. She said the commission held a detailed meeting with representatives of all tribal groups, including the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Nicobarese and Shompens. 'We met everyone…. We also had talks with both Shompen and Nicobarese people living on Great Nicobar Island. Most of the people have no idea about the project. They are busy with their own lives…. They demand more ferries to travel between islands,' Lakra said. Asked about her interaction with the residents of Great Nicobar, she said, 'They have no other problems. All they need is development…. Better transport, education and health facilities. This is what they told us. Everyone, barring the Sentinelese, said the same thing. They are in favour of development.' 'They want employment and their financial situation to improve,' Lakra added. She, however, stressed the need for a stakeholders' meeting with educated people from the island regarding 'such a big project' and said all necessary information should be shared with them. However, Barnabas Manju, chairman of the Little and Great Nicobar Tribal Council, told PTI over the phone that the council was not invited to the meeting and came to know about it through the local media. The council had written to the Union environment ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar administration in November 2022, withdrawing the no-objection certificate (NOC) it issued in August that year for the denotification of 84.1 sq. km of tribal reserve and the diversion of 130 sq. km of forest for the project. It alleged that crucial information was withheld while seeking the NOC. The tribal council had expressed shock on learning that parts of their pre-tsunami villages would be 'denotified and diverted' under the project. During a public hearing held at Campbell Bay in January 2021, the council's chairman had said that although they support the development plan, 'we want to go back to our ancestral villages'. Tribal councils in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are statutory bodies established under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Tribal Councils) Regulation, 2009. They have limited advisory and executive powers, unlike autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which have legislative, executive and limited judicial powers and enjoy greater autonomy. Around 853 sq. km of the island's total 910-sq. km area is designated as a tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. In tribal reserves, the tribal communities own the land and have full rights to use it for their daily needs. However, transferring, acquiring or selling land in these areas is strictly prohibited. Asked whether the commission looked into complaints of Forest Rights Act (FRA) violations related to the project, Lakra said, 'The only kind of FRA violations that has been reported involves non-tribal outsiders, who come for construction work, marry ST women and settle on tribal land.' This allows non-tribals to gain de-facto control over land protected under the FRA, she added. In April 2023, the NCST issued a notice to the Andaman and Nicobar administration, seeking 'facts and an action-taken report' on allegations that the mega project would violate the constitutional mandate and 'adversely impact' the lives of local tribals. Lakra said the commission would check whether a response has been received. At a media interaction earlier this month, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said his ministry is examining objections raised by tribal communities regarding the proposed project. 'Yes, it is under examination. I had also answered a question (in this regard) in Parliament. We are currently examining the documents they have submitted. After that, we will decide the course of action,' he had said, replying to a question. On further questioning about what the ministry seeks to ascertain, Oram had said, 'First, we need to determine whether the gram sabha (tribal council in this case) was held, what the gram sabha recommended and whether there have been any violations.' PTI GVS RC This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tribals in Great Nicobar not against development but lack info about mega project: NCST member
Tribal communities in Great Nicobar are not opposed to development but lack sufficient information about a proposed mega infrastructure project on the island, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Asha Lakra has said. The project, titled Holistic Development of Great Nicobar, involves the construction of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant over more than 160 sq. km of land. This includes around 130 sq. km of pristine forest inhabited by the Nicobarese, a Scheduled Tribe (ST), and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), whose population is estimated to be between 200 and 300. In an interview with PTI, Ms. Lakra said she led an NCST team to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from June 5 to 7 to review the issues faced by the tribal communities. She said the Commission held a detailed meeting with representatives of all tribal groups, including the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Nicobarese and Shompens. "We met everyone.... We also had talks with both Shompen and Nicobarese people living on Great Nicobar Island. Most of the people have no idea about the project. They are busy with their own lives.... They demand more ferries to travel between islands," Lakra said. Asked about her interaction with the residents of Great Nicobar, she said, "They have no other problems. All they need is development.... Better transport, education and health facilities. This is what they told us. Everyone, barring the Sentinelese, said the same thing. They are in favour of development." "They want employment and their financial situation to improve," Ms. Lakra added. She, however, stressed the need for a stakeholders' meeting with educated people from the island regarding "such a big project" and said all necessary information should be shared with them. However, Barnabas Manju, chairman of the Little and Great Nicobar Tribal Council, told PTI over the phone that the council was not invited to the meeting and came to know about it through the local media. The Council had written to the Union Environment Ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar administration in November 2022, withdrawing the no-objection certificate (NOC) it issued in August that year for the denotification of 84.1 sq. km of tribal reserve and the diversion of 130 sq. km of forest for the project. It alleged that crucial information was withheld while seeking the NOC. The Tribal Council had expressed shock on learning that parts of their pre-tsunami villages would be "denotified and diverted" under the project. During a public hearing held at Campbell Bay in January 2021, the Council's chairman had said that although they support the development plan, "we want to go back to our ancestral villages". Tribal Councils in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are statutory bodies established under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Tribal Councils) Regulation, 2009. They have limited advisory and executive powers, unlike autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which have legislative, executive and limited judicial powers and enjoy greater autonomy. Around 853 sq. km of the island's total 910-sq. km area is designated as a tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. In tribal reserves, the tribal communities own the land and have full rights to use it for their daily needs. However, transferring, acquiring or selling land in these areas is strictly prohibited. Asked whether the commission looked into complaints of Forest Rights Act (FRA) violations related to the project, Ms. Lakra said, "The only kind of FRA violations that has been reported involves non-tribal outsiders, who come for construction work, marry ST women and settle on tribal land." This allows non-tribals to gain de-facto control over land protected under the FRA, she added. In April 2023, the NCST issued a notice to the Andaman and Nicobar administration, seeking "facts and an action-taken report" on allegations that the mega project would violate the constitutional mandate and "adversely impact" the lives of local tribals. Ms. Lakra said the Commission would check whether a response has been received. At a media interaction earlier this month, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said his Ministry is examining objections raised by tribal communities regarding the proposed project. "Yes, it is under examination. I had also answered a question [in this regard] in Parliament. We are currently examining the documents they have submitted. After that, we will decide the course of action," he had said, replying to a question. On further questioning about what the Ministry seeks to ascertain, Mr. Oram had said, "First, we need to determine whether the gram sabha (tribal council in this case) was held, what the gram sabha recommended and whether there have been any violations."
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Great Nicobar tribals not against proposed project, lack info: NCST member
Tribal communities in Great Nicobar are not opposed to development but lack sufficient information about a proposed mega infrastructure project on the island, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Asha Lakra has said. The project, titled Holistic Development of Great Nicobar, involves the construction of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant over more than 160 sq. km of land. This includes around 130 sq. km of pristine forest inhabited by the Nicobarese, a Scheduled Tribe (ST), and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), whose population is estimated to be between 200 and 300. In an interview with PTI, Lakra said she led an NCST team to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from June 5 to 7 to review the issues faced by the tribal communities. She said the commission held a detailed meeting with representatives of all tribal groups, including the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Nicobarese and Shompens. "We met everyone.... We also had talks with both Shompen and Nicobarese people living on Great Nicobar Island. Most of the people have no idea about the project. They are busy with their own lives.... They demand more ferries to travel between islands," Lakra said. Asked about her interaction with the residents of Great Nicobar, she said, "They have no other problems. All they need is development.... Better transport, education and health facilities. This is what they told us. Everyone, barring the Sentinelese, said the same thing. They are in favour of development." "They want employment and their financial situation to improve," Lakra added. She, however, stressed the need for a stakeholders' meeting with educated people from the island regarding "such a big project" and said all necessary information should be shared with them. However, Barnabas Manju, chairman of the Little and Great Nicobar Tribal Council, told PTI over the phone that the council was not invited to the meeting and came to know about it through the local media. The council had written to the Union environment ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar administration in November 2022, withdrawing the no-objection certificate (NOC) it issued in August that year for the denotification of 84.1 sq. km of tribal reserve and the diversion of 130 sq. km of forest for the project. It alleged that crucial information was withheld while seeking the NOC. The tribal council had expressed shock on learning that parts of their pre-tsunami villages would be "denotified and diverted" under the project. During a public hearing held at Campbell Bay in January 2021, the council's chairman had said that although they support the development plan, "we want to go back to our ancestral villages". Tribal councils in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are statutory bodies established under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Tribal Councils) Regulation, 2009. They have limited advisory and executive powers, unlike autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which have legislative, executive and limited judicial powers and enjoy greater autonomy. Around 853 sq. km of the island's total 910-sq. km area is designated as a tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. In tribal reserves, the tribal communities own the land and have full rights to use it for their daily needs. However, transferring, acquiring or selling land in these areas is strictly prohibited. Asked whether the commission looked into complaints of Forest Rights Act (FRA) violations related to the project, Lakra said, "The only kind of FRA violations that has been reported involves non-tribal outsiders, who come for construction work, marry ST women and settle on tribal land." This allows non-tribals to gain de-facto control over land protected under the FRA, she added. In April 2023, the NCST issued a notice to the Andaman and Nicobar administration, seeking "facts and an action-taken report" on allegations that the mega project would violate the constitutional mandate and "adversely impact" the lives of local tribals. Lakra said the commission would check whether a response has been received. At a media interaction earlier this month, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said his ministry is examining objections raised by tribal communities regarding the proposed project. "Yes, it is under examination. I had also answered a question (in this regard) in Parliament. We are currently examining the documents they have submitted. After that, we will decide the course of action," he had said, replying to a question. On further questioning about what the ministry seeks to ascertain, Oram had said, "First, we need to determine whether the gram sabha (tribal council in this case) was held, what the gram sabha recommended and whether there have been any violations.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tribals in Great Nicobar not against development but lack info about mega project: NCST member
By Gaurav Saini Tribals in Great Nicobar not against development but lack info about mega project: NCST member New Delhi, Tribal communities in Great Nicobar are not opposed to development but lack sufficient information about a proposed mega infrastructure project on the island, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes member Asha Lakra has said. The project, titled Holistic Development of Great Nicobar, involves the construction of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant over more than 160 sq. km of land. This includes around 130 sq. km of pristine forest inhabited by the Nicobarese, a Scheduled Tribe , and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group , whose population is estimated to be between 200 and 300. In an interview with PTI, Lakra said she led an NCST team to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from June 5 to 7 to review the issues faced by the tribal communities. She said the commission held a detailed meeting with representatives of all tribal groups, including the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Nicobarese and Shompens. "We met everyone.... We also had talks with both Shompen and Nicobarese people living on Great Nicobar Island. Most of the people have no idea about the project. They are busy with their own lives.... They demand more ferries to travel between islands," Lakra said. Asked about her interaction with the residents of Great Nicobar, she said, "They have no other problems. All they need is development.... Better transport, education and health facilities. This is what they told us. Everyone, barring the Sentinelese, said the same thing. They are in favour of development." "They want employment and their financial situation to improve," Lakra added. She, however, stressed the need for a stakeholders' meeting with educated people from the island regarding "such a big project" and said all necessary information should be shared with them. However, Barnabas Manju, chairman of the Little and Great Nicobar Tribal Council, told PTI over the phone that the council was not invited to the meeting and came to know about it through the local media. The council had written to the Union environment ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar administration in November 2022, withdrawing the no-objection certificate it issued in August that year for the denotification of 84.1 sq. km of tribal reserve and the diversion of 130 sq. km of forest for the project. It alleged that crucial information was withheld while seeking the NOC. The tribal council had expressed shock on learning that parts of their pre-tsunami villages would be "denotified and diverted" under the project. During a public hearing held at Campbell Bay in January 2021, the council's chairman had said that although they support the development plan, "we want to go back to our ancestral villages". Tribal councils in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are statutory bodies established under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Regulation, 2009. They have limited advisory and executive powers, unlike autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which have legislative, executive and limited judicial powers and enjoy greater autonomy. Around 853 sq. km of the island's total 910-sq. km area is designated as a tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar Regulation, 1956. In tribal reserves, the tribal communities own the land and have full rights to use it for their daily needs. However, transferring, acquiring or selling land in these areas is strictly prohibited. Asked whether the commission looked into complaints of Forest Rights Act violations related to the project, Lakra said, "The only kind of FRA violations that has been reported involves non-tribal outsiders, who come for construction work, marry ST women and settle on tribal land." This allows non-tribals to gain de-facto control over land protected under the FRA, she added. In April 2023, the NCST issued a notice to the Andaman and Nicobar administration, seeking "facts and an action-taken report" on allegations that the mega project would violate the constitutional mandate and "adversely impact" the lives of local tribals. Lakra said the commission would check whether a response has been received. At a media interaction earlier this month, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said his ministry is examining objections raised by tribal communities regarding the proposed project. "Yes, it is under examination. I had also answered a question in Parliament. We are currently examining the documents they have submitted. After that, we will decide the course of action," he had said, replying to a question. On further questioning about what the ministry seeks to ascertain, Oram had said, "First, we need to determine whether the gram sabha was held, what the gram sabha recommended and whether there have been any violations." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
