Education Lost in the Course

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

Education Lost in the Course

The major casualty in the fight between two government-owned educational institutions is unsurprisingly education itself. When do these people get time to teach when they are all engaged in disputes related with land and construction?

The dispute between TGCE and Boys School is now a long-drawn battle. The crisis at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology is also of similar nature. Huge edifices and facilities fill the DBRAIT campus which was even awarded ISO-9001. However, students of the institution rue the quality of education. With acute shortage of qualified and experienced faculties, students have started deserting the only engineering college of the territory. Moreover, the internecine cold war between the HoD and faculties affect the process of education adversely.

TGCE is another institution, which has the best buildings and facilities in the Islands. But, the quality of the teachers churned out by the institution tells a different story. Last year's CTET examination was a litmus test for the 'premier' institution, where all exams are conducted internally without any external supervision. "We have no data about the results," said a senior staff of TGCE. In fact, the overall result was far below average. The institution runs with the support of guest faculties. Speaking to LOA, a few students of the Integrated Course said that there are times, when students even do not know the syllabus. They were baffled when they saw the question paper. The problem with the integrated course is that without qualified faculties, they come out of the institution lacking knowledge in the subject. Otherwise, too, the institution has failed in preparing quality teachers.

Students who undergo a nine-month B Ed course get very little time in academics. They are always engaged in various extra-curricular activities and cultural programmes. B Ed should have been an intensive one-year training course. But, TGCE has better plans for the institution rather than the students. The construction spree continues without any break with all support from the Administration.

When on one hand, there are hundreds of government owned educational institutions without basic amenities, a very few institutions get all the favours and come up with five-star facilities. Some call it the vision of the HoDs of such institutions, but others call it unequal treatment and nepotism. If someone raises finger at this lop-sided approach, they call it jealousy.

The Govt Boys School, which had about 2 hectares of land around it with five playgrounds and a massive auditorium, has now been pushed to a corner with every inch of its land occupied by others. Now, if someone calls the occupant a visionary or an encroacher is a debatable issue.

Tagore Govt College of Education has just about 150 students. The kind of money spent on such a minuscule number is mind-boggling. Dr Jaidev Singh is a smooth talker. He knows how to get things done. The frequently arranged programmes inviting VIPs to inaugurate one or the other event; requesting them to make speeches works as a potent ego-massaging tool to ingratiate them and get the proposals through. The highly mobile directors of education unaware of the sanctity of an educational institution give in without a protest making it that much easier for TGCE to get what it wants.

Magnificent buildings and ostentations are no substitute for hard work. Let the performance and results speak for the institutions rather than the grandeur and opulence of the concrete structures and furnishings.

TGCE: Construction Division of APWD?

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

TGCE: Construction Division of APWD?

Sometimes, constructions are a very destructive process. The whole campus of TGCE looks like a Construction Division of APWD with about five to six massive concrete structures covering the entire area turning it into a concrete jungle. There is a permanent Construction Site Office of APWD inside the campus which is self-explanatory. You cannot question the logic how same contractor gets all the construction work in the campus. The State Library, TGCE Building, GDMS Building and now a new 200-seat auditorium have enveloped the whole area.

Out of the four buildings, three were built for TGCE which has only 150-200 students. The GDMS built at a cost of Rs 4 crores is a massive structure with an air-conditioned auditorium. Speaking to LOA, a senior officer from the Directorate of Education said that "special attention cannot be given to any particular school as all schools in the Islands are covered under Right to Education (RTE) Act and should be treated equally." How many schools in the Islands have air-conditioned auditorium and fully tiled floors? Can the Directorate justify the five-star infrastructure of GDMS and the miserable condition of hundreds of schools of the Islands? Moreover, the oldest school of the Islands is struggling to manage its strength without proper infrastructure.

How many auditoriums do 150-200 students need? There are about three auditoriums - one inside the main TGCE building, another one in the GDMS building and now one separate auditorium inaugurated recently by the Lieutenant Governor, whereas the Boys School, which was the only school in the Islands which had a massive auditorium of its own, was usurped for construction of the State Library. The justification that the Principal or the Staff of TGCE is not going to take the building home after retirement at the outset seems too hard to digest.

Students Demand Basic Amenities

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

Students Demand Basic Amenities

On 9th January 2012 and again after a week later, the students of Boys School staged dharnas protesting inaction from the Administration for not redressing their demands. They had raised the demand for a playground, multipurpose hall, parking shed, drinking water and toilet facilities.

The Director of Education agreed to consider the demands and issued a response.

On the instruction of the Principal Secretary, Education, the Principal TGCE was instructed to make open the closed gate between Boys School and GDMS School and give the students of Boys School access to the canteen. The APWD was instructed to remove the temporary structures in the compound and develop the area as playground. Speaking to LOA, R Devdas, Director of Education said that the playground is already there in the last plan and will be pursued and completed in 2012.

On multipurpose hall, Director informed that construction of a new auditorium is not possible. A decision regarding providing the already completed TGCE hall to Boys School is under consideration. However, the school authorities informed that the school has a combined strength of more than 1200 students and the 200-seater auditorium cannot serve any purpose. The Alumni members informed LOA that there is enough space near the existing DEO office to construct a 2000 capacity multi-purpose auditorium.

The demand for drinking water and toilet facilities are also being looked into by APWD. However, the delay in the process as well as a new wall coming up between the campus of TGCE and Boys School had forced the students to strike the second time.

Boys' School: A Zone of Destruction

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

Boys' School: A Zone of Destruction

The Boys' School had four barracks, two halls and six playgrounds including the basketball field that TGCE claimed as its own. A Boys' Hostel had later come up in one of the playgrounds at the farthest westward end. A new block was added on the hilltop for classes X and XI in 1962.

The allotted land was 5000 sq. m but in actuality, 2.00 hectares of land was under its occupation and the Tahsildar, Port Blair confirmed that Boy's School was the sole allottee. The successive benevolent directors of education treated it like the property of the department rather than a historical institution of learning. Slowly the land of Boys' School was found to be the most convenient for all the buildings that the department needed. State Institute of Education, District Institute of Education & Training, Office of the Deputy Education Officer, South Andaman and the State Library everything found a place in the Boy's School Complex.

The number of playground started shrinking so much so that today, there is not a single playground. TGCE initially even did not allow the students of Boys' School to use the basketball court. Fortunately, the basket ball court too is liberated.

The complex resembles more to a construction and destruction zone rather than an educational institution.

Buffer Zone Case: SC Appoints Two-Member Commission

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

Buffer Zone Case:

SC Appoints Two-Member Commission

To Submit Report Within Six Weeks

In the Buffer Zone Case between Barefoot and ANI Admn, the Supreme Court has appointed two advocates as Court Commissioners nominated by both parties.  Adv. T S Doabia on behalf of ANI Admn and Adv. Sanjay Upadhyay for Barefoot Inns and Leisures Pvt Ltd., will visit the Islands along with Ajay Saxena, Director, Tribal Welfare, AN Admn.

The Court Commissioners shall visit the Islands and submit a report to the Apex Court within next six weeks.

Earlier, the Court heard the counsels for the parties and perused affidavit dated 02.02.2012 of Shri Kuldip Singh Thakur, Deputy Resident Commissioner, Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

The expenses of the Court Commissioners for their visit to the Islands and stay shall be borne by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, which shall also extend other facilities to the Court Commissioners. The fees of the Court Commissioners shall be determined after submission of the report by them.

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.

EDITORIAL: Jarawa Video Safari Continues...

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

EDITORIAL:

Jarawa Video Safari Continues...

The second round of Jarawa video safari has got everything wrong from the word go. The news item states that 'new' videos reveal Indian police role and complacence, and in fact the videos are not date-stamped. How did the videos become new? Was the video shot after the last news report by the Guardian or 'Observer? The news seems to be misleading as it says that 'human safaris' continue with the connivance of police. Nobody will deny that such things have happened in the past. But to suggest by showing old video clips that such safaris are continuing is absolutely misleading.

In fact, everyone knows that there are many videos made during the last one decade. The presentation of news on international as well as national media about Jarawas were always abstract which creates more confusion among the readers and viewers. The means adopted to achieve the end has made a mockery of the whole issue. There has been a long pending Supreme Court Order for closure of two stretches of Andaman Trunk Road, which passes through Jarawa Reserve. However, the sensationalization  has entirely shifted the focus from the main issue. Once a video clip is released, the attention turns towards the particular video and its perpetrators.

Moreover, any decision by the Government of India will be taken after thorough investigations into the allegations. The exaggerated reports cannot stand any investigation as the 'human safaris' does not continue the way depicted in the news. If the NGO was concerned about the Jarawas, it should have taken a holistic view. Instead of focussing on Andaman Trunk Road alone, they should have been advocating the issue of Jarawas at Tirur and Kadamtala too, which is not happening. In fact, Jarawas at Tirur are more vulnerable to outside influence than the Jarawas at Middle Strait or Andaman Trunk Road.

The issue of closure of Andaman Trunk Road is in Supreme Court of India. Why Survival International is not taking any step to file a contempt of court, if it really thinks that the issue needs to be addressed.

The downside is that Andaman and Nicobar Admn too lacks the will power to even attempt closure of tourism on Andaman Trunk Road. Such a decision would have sent a stern message. Sensitizing the tour operators is another gimmick that is not going to pay off. Complete halt of tourism on ATR will reduce the overall traffic on the road. The road referred as the lifeline can be literally used as a life line - for transportation of goods, public transport vehicles and emergency medical evacuations.

The shadowboxing by Survival International using different platforms including the British Parliament, based on some old videos might do more harm by antagonising local sentiments. Rather than sensationalizing the issue, as the issue is subjudice, its sensible to fight the legal battle and settle the issue, which no one seems to be interested in.

PAUPER’S LOG: A Right for The Wrong

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

PAUPER’S LOG:

A Right for The Wrong

By Abu Arsh

The Right to Information Act has been a land mark legislation enacted by the UPA government granting every citizen a right to know how the Government is functioning. Right to Information empowers every citizen to seek any information from the Government, inspect any Government documents and seek certified photocopies thereof. Some laws on Right to Information also empower citizens to official inspect any Government work or to take sample of material used in any work.

"Information" would mean any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.

"Record" includes any document, manuscript and file. Any microfilm, microfiche, and facsimile copy of a document, reproduction of image or images embodied in such microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and other material produced by a computer or any other device;

An applicant cannot ask for opinions/advice/views under the RTI Act, unless the opinion/advice/view is already on "record". However, under Section 4(1)(d), an applicant can ask for "reasons" behind a administrative or quasi judicial decision of a public authority, especially if he is a "affected person".

Armed with access to such information and power, the RTI act is intended to bring in transparency and curb corruption in Government and Public/Private Sector, both of elected representatives and officials. In respect of the uneducated and the poor there is disuse of the Act. No doubt the Right to Information Act is a big gift. At the same time the ACT cannot be misused or abused. We have instances of wrong use of it. There are people for whom the misuse has become a hobby or pastime. They keep shooting letters under RTI. For some others it is sadism that drives them. The third category is those who misuse the ACT to harass someone whom they don't like or have enmity.

The ACT has given rise to mushrooming of RTI activists all over the country and these Islands are no exception. Major difference here has been that the local activists are outright blackmailers and tormentors trying to gain a better bargaining capacity with the snobbish, self-centered and corrupt babus or netas. Many bureaucrats complain that like any other law in India, the RTI Act is also getting misused. There are two types of apprehensions, one that officers will be blackmailed and the other that they will be harassed because of too many applications. As far as the first apprehension goes, you can only be blackmailed if you have done something wrong. Therefore, rather than demanding that information should not be shared because wrong acts have been committed, it would be better to stop doing wrong things because information will be shared.

As our Islands abound with people at high places doing things most arbitrarily, the activists or blackmailers have made fortunes pursuing them under RTI Act. For the poor and the less informed getting information under the ACT is an exercise, he'd rather like to forget as he is made to find his way through innumerable mazes until he breaks down and gives up. There is lack of awareness and information about the ACT amongst the common man. The same very people who are the worst offenders are made to propagate and popularize the ACT. Few departments receive a large number of applications. As per a NCPRI survey looking over three hundred departments across the country and at differing levels. The data that emerges suggests that in almost all these departments, a public information officer does not spend more than one or two hours a week (average of between 12 and 24 minutes per working day) on RTI related work. The ACT is still to realize its true potential here by the right people. The RTI Act can realize its true potential if those few public authorities where there is greater pressure like the Revenue department and other departments can make things much easier for itself if it periodically assess the type of information the citizens want, and put this suo moto in the public domain, as required under Section 4 of the RTI act.

A Prelude to the Quest for Kalapathar

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

A Prelude to the Quest for Kalapathar

By Prof. Clare Anderson


At the start of the year 2011, I came across two boxes of letters in the archives of the India Office, in London. The letters dated from 1874-77, and were written by the Reverend Thomas L.J. Warneford, who at that time was part of the colonial administration of the Andamans penal colony. Forbidden to proselytize amongst the Indian convicts, his role was to minister to the Islands' British residents, from the elite classes (chief commissioner, senior medical officer and so on) to Anglo-Indians and ordinary soldiers. Among his achievements was the setting up of free education for the children of convicts - who were growing in number even as early as the 1870s.

The letters were from Warneford to his daughter, Maude, who following a childhood in India and the Andamans had returned to England, aged 10. The letters are deeply personal and affecting. The reverend calls Maude his 'little woman,' sends news of household pets - dogs, rabbits, cats, goats, parrots, pigeons and even a tortoise - and writes in detail of the garden that they had created together. He describes the scriptural readings, music and hymns sung in Port Blair's Christ Church. He frequently implores her to remember her experiences in the islands - the way she decorated the church altar for services, the chapatis she ate each morning for breakfast, the friends that she had made. He passes on Maude's greetings to their convict boatmen and servants, and reminds her that she used to teach them their 'English letters.' He tells her that a recently released convict servant 'wants to go home with me … to see Miss Maud or Missie Baba as he calls you … He often talks of you.' Finally, father often signs his letters with row upon row of kisses, with sighs about how much he misses his daughter, and that he hopes to see her soon. He thanks her for her many letters, and complains that Maud's older brother, Reggie, also by then in England, does not write to him as often as he would like.

Beyond the pain of the separation of father, daughter and son, we learn also from the letters of the family's tragedy - the death and burial of the reverend's wife (Maud and Reggie's mother) in Calcutta. He sometimes lists the contents of parcels that he has posted to England, gifts for his children including personal items that once belonged to his wife and now gifted to Maud - a brooch, a fan, a shawl, a comb.

Father and daughter also sent small items to each other, as the reverend reminds Maud of their life together in the Andamans, and Maud tells her father about her efforts at English gardening and other pursuits. Peacock feathers, pressed flowers, ferns and photographs … tiny fragments of history fell from between the creases and folds of pages, untouched by human hands for over one hundred years. And then my eyes came to rest on one letter. Dated 4 May 1876, Warneford describes to Maud a visit to the local beauty spot, Mount Harriet. He reminds her of the many happy times they had there, collecting shells and catching pigeons on the way. 'Went to the "rock" … and cut out your name MAUD about 4 inches long,' he writes, 'Reggie's is also there.'

With a research trip to the Andamans imminent, I made a careful note to go and look for it …

The author teaches at University of Leicester

Oceans are Maritime Highways: Admiral Nirmal Verma

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

Oceans are Maritime Highways:
Admiral Nirmal Verma

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma has stressed the Navy's commitment to ensuring a stable and secure regional environment for the "economic development and social uplift of the masses" in India's neighbourhood. "We carry out coordinated patrols with some of our neighbours. We have also been undertaking EEZ [exclusive economic zone] surveillance on request from some governments."

"Oceans today are not expanses of water that divide continents, but maritime highways that link nations," Admiral Verma on Friday told delegates from 14 countries who are participating in Milan-2012, the eighth edition of a biennial initiative of the Navy to forge working-level jointmanship and interoperability among the Navies of the region. The aim is to ensure faster humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response, better counter piracy and anti-poaching measures and prevention of contraband smuggling and human trafficking.

Referring to the Indian Ocean Region as a 'critical economic highway' for a predominant chunk of its oil, cargo and container traffic, Admiral Mehta cautioned that any challenge to this energy and trade seaway could lead to major conflict. That would hit regional and global economies. "Ensuring energy security is, therefore, a major maritime issue of common concern," he said in his keynote address at a seminar on 'Capacity-building through Maritime Cooperation.'

The pervasive enemy today was not 'some belligerent nation-state,' but malevolent non-state actors. "There is more to fighting piracy than military action," he added, calling for a collective initiative to combat the menace, which was a "spill-over of governance deficit, myriad socio-economic issues and lawlessness."

Lieutenant-General (retd.) Bhopinder Singh, Lieutenant-Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said in his address that current economic challenges demanded maritime interdependencies. "Our combined efforts can postulate joint doctrines… to prevent, deter, limit and localise conflicts and disruptions to the global system that we all rely upon."

During the proceedings of the seminar, five professional papers were presented. The seminar was conducted in two sessions, focusing on issues pertaining to Cooperation framework for capacity building for undertaking regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations in the first session and Marine             Co-operation for ensuring unfettered use of the seas in the second session. Vice Admiral (Retd) Pradeep Kaushiva, UYSM, VSM and Ambassador HK Singh presented papers during the first session, while Lt Gen (Retd) Prakash Menon, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Ph.D, Dr.Euan Graham, Senior Fellow, RSIS, Singapore and Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash, AVSM, VrC, VSM presented papers during the second session. The Seminar culminated with a brainstorming open house session wherein all participants and speakers discussed to evolve newer and effective concepts in the field of Maritime Cooperation & HADR operations. The seminar concluded with closing address by Lt Gen NC Marwah, PVSM, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. In his address he thanked the delegates for their contribution towards success of the seminar.

This edition of Milan is the largest since its inception in 1995, with representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles participating in it. Of these, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles are first-timers at the event.

Nicobar District Bags MGNREGA Award

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

Nicobar District Bags MGNREGA Award

Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India presented the award for Initiative in MGNREGA Administration for the year 2010-11 to the Nicobar District Team of Andaman & Nicobar Union Territory led by Rupesh Kumar Thakur, DC (Nicobar)/DPC in a solemn function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on Feb 2, 2012. The award was presented by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.  Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA & NAC, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Rural Development, SPradeep Kumar Jain, and Sisir Kumar Adhikari, Ministers of State for Rural Development also graced the occasion.

Nicobar District is one amongst the six best Districts selected in the country for this award. The District was selected on the basis of recommendation of Expert/Screening committee of MoRD under the category “Initiative in the challenging environment”. The expert committee while on visit to Car Nicobar appreciated the efforts of Administration in dovetailing MGNREGA with Car Nicobar Coconut Mission. Taking into account the fact that coconut tree was the tree of life for Nicobari community, Car Nicobar Coconut Mission was launched by the Lt. Governor Bhopinder Singh on Jan 28, 2009.

A delegation of Nicobari leaders, Adhyaksh, South Andaman Zila Parishad, Adhyaksh Zila Parishad, North & Middle Andaman, Chairperson PBMC and Chairperson SSWAP also attended the above function. The members of delegation also had some informal interaction with the Minster of Rural Development, S Jairam Ramesh.

Workshop on Energy Conservation Held

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

Workshop on Energy Conservation Held

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organised a training workshop for school teachers on energy conservation and its efficient use' under the aegis of  the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power.

Inaugurating the workshop, Dr R Devdas, Director (Education), highlighted the importance of incorporating energy into different subjects. He urged all the teachers to inculcate all the inputs gained during the workshop into classroom teaching.  The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Dte. of Education at Siksha Sadan, Port Blair on 7th February 2012. The training was conducted by Ms Neha and Mr V K Saju from the Educating Youth for Sustainable Development Division, TERI - New Delhi, which is headed by Ms Ranjana Saikia. More than 65 teachers from various government and private schools attended the training.

COVER STORY Tamilians Dread Motivated Revenge

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 35 | ISSUE 25 | 27 JAN 2012

COVER STORY

Tamilians Dread Motivated Revenge

Approach Home Minister for Relief

In an explosive representation made to the Home Minister, the Andaman Tamizhar Sangham, a socio-cultural organization, representing the interests of the Tamilians of the Islands for over 60 years has lambasted the ANI Admn accusing it of motivated harassment of prominent Tamil businessmen and concerted effort to root out the Tamil community of the Islands layer by layer in a planned manner.

By Zubair Ahmed

Blaming the ANI Admn for much of its plights, the representation signed by the President of Andaman Tamizhar Sangham has said that the Admn have of late been playing a highly dubious role threatening business as well as livelihood interests of the Tamil population. It further says that there seems to be a systematic attempt to eliminate the leadership layers and thereby adversely affect the livelihood avenues of the Tamil people.

It has also blamed certain vested interests with an eye on their vote-bank politics acting with a hidden agenda in collusion with certain unscrupulous elements in the AN Admn. The representation said that it is unfortunate that these elements are not duly aware of the great contributions of the Tamils for the overall development as well as for protecting the harmonious social fabric of these Islands.

On Legislative Assembly or Pradesh Council, the representation said that in the absence of an elected Legislative Assembly, which is expected to take care of the genuine problems of the people of these Islands, these vested interests are bent upon disturbing the peaceful atmosphere that has been prevailing here for over seven decades. The Sangham has put forth their demand saying that even, if it is not immediately possible to have a full-fledged Legislative Assembly, the erstwhile Pradesh Council may be revived to safeguard the genuine interests of the Islanders.

To substantiate the allegation against the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Andaman Tamizhar Sangham has highlighted various issues pertaining to suppression of Tamilian interests in these Islands.

In the representation, it said that OBC Reservation to Tamil Settlers and Permanent Inhabitants of these Islands has been denied. The officials of the Andaman Administration utterly failed to highlight before the OBC Commission the need to include Tamil Settlers in the list of OBCs. While the Admn took all efforts to include the post-1942 Bengali Settlers in the list, they deliberately denied the same facility to post-1942 Tamil settlers and the Permanent inhabitants of these Islands.

The Representation has also blamed the ANI Admn for denial of Resettlement of Tamil Settlers of Katchal Island. About 48 Sri Lankan expatriate families who were settled in Katchal Island in 1960s were made to work in a rubber plantation. Katchal Island, which falls under Tribal Reserve Area, due to which they were all along, denied a proper settlement package that was extended to all other categories of settlers. The situation has further worsened post-Tsunami, with local tribals claiming the land currently under the occupation of these Tamil Settlers as well as for their total eviction from Katchal Island.

The representation said that the Sangham has been fighting for long for their resettlement in the land available at Saithankhari, South Andaman, under the possession of Rubber Board, Kerala, which is kept unutilized for over 20 years. Though the Rubber Board had expressed its willingness in writing to surrender this land for the resettlement of the Katchal Tamil settlers, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, possibly under pressure from vested political interests, has been adopting a callous approach to this issue and failed to provide any honourable resettlement package. It is worthwhile to mention here that the Katchal Tamil Settlers now comprising of about 170 extended families, instead of taking a confrontationist stand against the tribals of Katchal Island are willing to be evacuated from their lands which have been in their occupation for over five decades. The Administration has not realized the consequences, had there been a stand-off between the tribals and the Tamil settlers.

The Sangham in its representation has also highlighted that there is motivated harassment of prominent Tamil businessmen. As many as 7 prominent businessmen from Tamil community, engaged in quarrying and construction business have been arrested and kept under judicial custody for more than 5 months, in an explosive case. Several of their applications for grant of bail have been rejected due to strong opposition from the prosecution side. Citing examples of similar cases, the representation felt it worth to mention that about 35 cases relating to similar offences are already in the court of law, and all those accused in these cases had been let out on bail within a reasonable period of time. But these 7 businessmen are not able to get bail, due to revengeful and politically motivated attitude of the authorities. ATS also fee that it is quite possible that these 7 prominent businessmen, being totally demoralized due to delay in obtaining bail, might decide to leave the Islands for good which will in turn adversely affect the livelihood of about 1000 Tamil labourers working under them and their families.

The Sangham has also accused the Administration of motivated attempts at ethnic cleansing by targeting the Tamil population and those businesses run by them. Sea sand quarrying, which was mainly controlled by Tamil businessmen, has been totally banned for the last two years. Similarly, several crusher operators, who happen to be Tamilians, have been denied renewal of their licenses in the name of pollution control, even though they have complied with all the norms stipulated for the same. Several high-value tenders successfully bid by prominent Tamil businessmen have been cancelled citing vague reasons, thereby causing huge loss and mental agony to them. ATS also has highlighted that with the proposed move to introduce A&N Islands (Restriction on Entry and Residence) Regulation 2006, there is a possibility of all non-tribal and non-OBC population of these Islands losing their property and residence rights, wherein the Tamil population would be the most affected.

The Sangham in the representation has reiterated that it believes that there is a concerted effort by the A & N Administration, with undue pressure from vested political interests to root out the Tamil community of these Islands layer by layer in a planned manner. It has also made apprehensions that a situation may arise wherein the entire Tamil population of these Islands would have to face forced migration back to mainland. The Sangham has also warned about protests and rallies, if such oppressive measures against the community are not immediately stopped by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, which might disturb the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the Islands.

The ATS has requested the Home Minister to impress upon the ANI Admn to desist from bowing to pressure from vested interests and intimidating Tamil population who have made and are still making significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the Islands.

Speaking to LOA, A K Bhojarajan, President, Andaman Tamizhar Sangham said that thousands of labourers are approaching the Organisation seeking assistance as they are without wages for months now. He also said that it has now proven beyond doubt that the huge cache of explosives were meant for illegal quarrying and not for any terrorist activity, and the accused should be charged accordingly and they may be let on bail.

Home Minister Visits ATR

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 35 | ISSUE 25 | 27 JAN 2012

Home Minister Visits ATR

By Staff Reporter

The Home Minister P Chidambaram on the final day of his visit met the villagers of Sippighat and Tushnabad and also drove along Andaman Trunk Road upto Chowdhary Gumai, where the controversial Jarawa Dance Video was shot. From reliable sources, it has been learnt that he interacted with the ground staff of AAJVS and discussed various issues related with Jarawas. It is learnt that he was of the view that tourism on Andaman Trunk Road should be stopped.

He did not disturb the Jarawas and refused to meet them. He had also met the ground staff of AAJVS separately and sought their suggestions about the future course of action regarding Jarawas. Later speaking to the media he had made it clear that the Govt has no plans imposing anything on Jarawas.

Gram Sudhar Demands Relief for Tsunami Affected Farmers

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 35 | ISSUE 25 | 27 JAN 2012

Gram Sudhar Demands Relief

for Tsunami Affected Farmers

By Staff Reporter

Gram Sudhar Sangham in a letter addressed to P Chidambaram, Home Minister had requested to release the relief amount sanctioned by Home Ministry to the tsunami affected farmers without further delay. The letter also praised the Lieutenant Governor for taking keen interest to ensure that the farmers get the relief immediately. It also said that political conference of the Congress party held in December 2011 in which many dignitaries including Dr Shakeel Ahmed, General Secretary AICC has also passed a resolution under the leadership of the Congress President, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma considering the gravity of the situation.