Jarawa and Media Lies

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Jarawa and Media Lies

With the Jarawa videos hitting the mainstream media, there has been a flow of news reports with half baked truths, myths and baseless expert comments of different shades.

By Staff Reporter

The media as well as many columnists have taken a plunge into the Jarawa video issue without bothering to get their facts right. A series of articles and comments have been appearing in the media. A few excerpts:

“First exposed by tribal rights group Survival International in 2010 and brought to light by an unsettling video uploaded by The Observer last month, dozens of visitors to the remote Andaman Islands -- between India and Burma in the Bay of Bengal -- queue up daily at dawn to drive through a jungle reserve set aside for the Jarawa tribe. The tourists then toss scraps of food to the half-naked natives, commanding them to dance. The video footage posted online is the kind of exotic encounter some tourists dream about when they set out on a so-called "safari," but the practice is both devastating and humiliating for the tribe involved."

Moreover, the kind of ignorance about the tribes, geography and history of the Islands, have filled the media with comments from people who might be part of the process of framing policy for the Islands and the tribes.

The most surprising part is the comments coming from the Tribal Affairs Minister, V Kishore Chandra Deo. When the population of the tribe is increasing gradually and medical intervention is taken care of, he is in a shock how the tribe has survived all these years.

"Jarawas need to be immunised and probably medical experts and anthropologists will have to study and tell us how they existed all these years and what needs to be done now," Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said.

On whether the government is planning to form a team of experts to conduct studies on the Jarawas, he said, "Lot of people have already gone into these areas and lot of studies have been done and papers written.

"Now it is a question of contacting them (the experts) and having some intellectual discourse with them before we come to some kind of decision."

He said that "utmost importance" should be given to increase their immunity, adding, "Probably nutrition is another thing which can do this and their existence.

"Their health and food needs have to be looked into and it can be done there itself. They are very few in numbers and it is important to see that they don't dwindle further, that their population itself is not at stake," Deo said.

In a report, the Tribal Affairs Minister told PTI, "The problem inside is the ATR which joins Port Blair with the Great Nicobar, it passes through that area. If ATR is closed, then the alternative routes will be the sea and aerial route."

"Considered as the life-line of the Great Nicobar island, the ATR is used to run convoys of food and other essential supplies to Nicobar."

In another report, Harsh Mander, Member, National Advisory Council (NAC) told The Tribune, Chandigarh. "We are talking of the Andamanese and the Sentinelese who are not able to survive ever since they came into contact with the world outside. Our policy must ensure their protection and we will work on the policy for the next four to five months."

An unknown spokesperson for Andaman and Nicobar Admn has been quoted by media saying that "It is likely that some foreign NGOs may be in possession of some more old video footage, as these have been in circulation on the Internet, to selectively release them to sensationalising the issue with the ulterior aim of putting pressure for closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, the lifeline of more than one lakh people inhabiting North and Middle Andamans."

"It closed down all such tourism activities (including government-run establishments) which could have impacted on the Jarawa interests," the unknown spokesperson further added.

DNA editorialised the issue and said: "Ten years after the Supreme Court ordered closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, which traverses through Jarawa land, violating their right to a peaceful life, the Union territory's administration claims to be looking at alternative routes to connect Greater Nicobar with Andaman, implying that it has coolly ignored the order of the highest court in the land so far.

"It is one thing to protect these primitive tribes from external forces, quite another to influence their mores through unwanted interaction. The 'civilised' world cannot arrogate to itself the right to judge these tribes, much less destroy their lives and habitat. Let's face it: it was not the Jarawa who wanted us there; we have transgressed into their territory without so much as a by your leave. Describing their lands as part of our country and disturbing them in the name of our laws is nothing but colonisation in disguise."

"If the tribes in the Andamans are indeed full Indian citizens, the government must exert itself to ensure that they are allowed to live freely the way they want without being disturbed by outside forces."

"If the only way to do that is to evacuate all the interlopers living there, so be it."

Another shocker news says that more torture videos of Jarawa tribe emerges... There is no end to it.

Many columnists of regard were offering solutions that were readily available on Port Blair streets. One of them even offered them 100 days of employment through the central scheme MNREGA. Jarawas are much better in their forest reserve and needs all protection from the onslaught of such experts and media.

COVER STORY: Jarawa Dance Video: ARMY PERSONNEL INVOLVED

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 35 ISSUE 24 | 13 JAN 2012

COVER STORY

Jarawa Dance Video

ARMY PERSONNEL INVOLVED

By Zubair Ahmed

The Jarawa dance video, which created hue and cry in the international and national media and forced the Government of India and Andaman and Nicobar Administration to order a probe, was actually shot by a group of army personnel.

In an independent investigation by LOA, it has come to the fore that police and ground staff of Andaman Aadim Janjathi Vikas Samithi (AAJVS) were not aware as the video was shot after the last convoy left Middle Strait.

Contrary to the statements released to the media by the Administration, the video was shot three years back on 6th  November 2008, in which two vehicles - a truck and a gypsy belonging to army were involved. In a release, S B Deol, DGP had said that the video was 10 years old and there were no cop in the video. He had also pointed out that a man with camouflaged uniform was visible in the media. However, he did not mention anyrole of defence personnel.

LOA has identified the Jarawa women and girls featuring in the video, which was shot at a place about 8 kms from Jirkatang, known as Chowdhary Gumai. There were six Jarawa women including a pregnant lady, who was shown fully naked. Thadul (16 years) daughter of Thadang, Ecnchobecha (14) d/o Thadang, Cheddatokula (35) wife of Whaydom and Aninja (13) d/o Whaydom featured in the video. Enepowaiele (21) w/o Mahe was 7-8 months pregnant when the video was shot. She gave birth to a baby girl Wane on 6 February 2009.

The army personnel traveling in a military truck had waited for the last convoy to pass from Middle Strait and with special permission traveled on the road. It has also come to light that Jarawas mostly belonging to Tirur sector has a Chadda (Jarawa Hut) very close to the place.

Jarawas, still a nomadic community travel from Tirur to Kadamtala and back frequently. They use the temporary chaddas on the way.

The Jarawas in Kadamtala and Middle Strait were able to identify the Jarawa women featuring in the video and the place where it took place.

Enepowaiele, the pregnant woman in the video, who is 24 years now has confirmed to a reliable source about the incident and involvement of army personnel.

However, this does not vindicate the police force present at Middle Strait who allowed the military truck to pass after the last convoy had departed from Middle Strait. The thumb rule is not to allow anybody except AAJVS, Police and Forest personnel dealing with the protection and welfare of Jarawas of specific territorial jurisdiction. This raises a serious question how army personnel, who were on a tour to Baratang could stop inside the Reserve and shoot the video exploiting the vulnerability of a tribe who are at crossroads, unaware of the dangers it poses to their life and culture.

The story about the video published by The Guardian/Observer, London was later picked by the national media and highlighted the plight of the Jarawas.

Soon after the expose by news channels, Shakti Sinha, Chief Secretary, ANI Admn had rebutted the episode saying that over the past decade, the population of the Jarawas has increased for the first time since they first came into contact with the outside world 150 years ago.  He also said that a Tribal Reserve has been increased from 847 sq kms to 1028 sq kms.

Speaking to a news channel, Prof Shekhar Singh said that the Lieutenant Governor and the Administration should be put on dock on the issue of contempt of court as the Administration has kept the Andaman Trunk Road open even after the Supreme Court's Order of May 2002.

The issue has also created a ruckus among the politicians and the settler communities who blamed foul play in the timing of the video saying that it was intentionally done to close Andaman Trunk Road, which they claim to be a lifeline.