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The Hindu
3 days ago
- 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.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Van Dhan Vikas Kendra set up for Onge tribe in Little Andaman to promote self-sustainability
Port Blair, The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration has set up a Van Dhan Vikas Kendra for the Onge tribe at Dugong Creek under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan to make them self-sustainable through coconut-based products. Van Dhan Vikas Kendra set up for Onge tribe in Little Andaman to promote self-sustainability Located in Little Andaman, Dugong Creek — about 93 km from Port Blair — is a reserved area for the Onge tribe and is currently home to only 140 people, including 74 males and 66 females. Speaking to PTI here on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar said the VDVK initiative builds upon the traditional practices of the Onge community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. "As a part of their tradition, the Onge tribe has been making coconut-based products for years in their reserved forest areas. We just gave a value addition to their product, including virgin coconut oil , and helped them in creating a market through VDVK," Kumar said. "We are paying special attention to maintaining the integrity and purity of their products in their habitat. It's a learning process for us also, but I am happy to share that Onge tribe wholeheartedly welcomed our small steps towards their welfare. We are also in the process of making a short documentary of this initiative," Kumar said. The VDVK is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. "The VDVK is poised to revolutionise livelihoods through sustainable enterprise and economic empowerment of the Onge," a senior tribal welfare department official said. Initially, 56 members of the Onge tribe will be part of VDVK, focusing on producing value-added coconut-based products, including high-quality copra and cold-pressed coconut oil. To empower the community, Onge VDVK members have received extensive training in copra processing, coconut oil extraction, and the use of specialised machinery. "Essential toolkits, including coconut peelers, steel containers, manual de-husking tools, and knives, have been provided. A state-of-the-art cold-press coconut oil extraction and filter machine have also been installed at Dugong Creek, enabling premium-quality production," a senior administrative official said. The Directorate of Tribal Welfare serves as the nodal agency, with Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti as the State Implementation Agency and Directorate of Rural Development as the training partner, ensuring comprehensive support for this transformative initiative, he said. In another historic achievement, nine students from the Onge community passed this year's CBSE class 10 examination for the first time. "This milestone reflects the unwavering commitment and dedication of the Onge students and the UT Administration for the welfare, safety, and well-being of the tribes of these islands," the official said. SN MNB This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
