Tirur Jarawa Reserve: 'Hotspot' of Negligence

Tirur Jarawa Reserve:

'Hotspot' of Negligence

By Zubair Ahmed

A local daily, Andaman Chronicle on 21st Oct 2013 reported an incident of clash between two Jarawas in Tirur under the influence of alcohol in which one of them was severely injured and hospitalized. The news draw a blank as the incident which took place on 18th October, only reached the corridors of Tribal Welfare Department and AAJVS headquarters, after it appeared in the press. And, they continue to feign ignorance as if nothing has happened.

As the matter pertained to infighting among Jarawas, which itself was very rare, there was not much to be done. However, what was grossly neglected was the fact that the Jarawas were in inebriated state. In fact, the Admn claims to have fully set up three hotspots, which becomes the point of contact for Jarawas, whether supply of liquor is also part of the hotspot business needs to be investigated. Or, how come the Jarawas got alcohol when the Administration claims to have foolproof mechanism everywhere.

It is learnt that the Dept is trying to hush up the matter and a report has also been cooked up as per convenience saying that the wound was due to fall from a tree. It seems to be a befitting report to avoid any further controversies. Or many inconvenient questions will have to be answered. How and from where did the Jarawas get alcohol? What were the AAJVS and Police staff doing? What the forest staff is doing to stop poaching in the Reserves?

In fact, as reported earlier pertaining to the Kadamatala incident, in which Jarawas were tutored to parrot a few lines by the Pradhan and a set of poachers, this incident too is multi-dimensional.  It has been established and confirmed now what conspired between the Police and the set of officers who investigated the Kadamtala incident. The Pradhan was initially kept out of the loop to avoid political pressures and controversies. The pressure from the media forced the Admn to review their stand and the Pradhan was booked on some minor charges and bailed out within hours.

In both cases, media played a vital role in bringing to light the incidents. It doesn't mean that the officials working for Jarawas - AAJVS, Police and Forest are ignorant about the happenings. All of them try to keep things under wraps as much as possible to keep controversies at bay. In the last five years, not a single case was suo moto identified by the concerned agencies and cases booked.

Tirur is more vulnerable and sensitive than Andaman Trunk Road and Kadamtala, as the level of interaction between the Settlers and Jarawas are very high. While speaking to a shopkeeper in Tirur, he pointed out that Jarawas frequently visit the settlement and take whatever they want from the villages. Recently, they had raided a few houses and took away many utensils and clothes. When asked about their visit to the shops, he blatantly denied it saying they don't buy anything from shops.

When we spoke to a few poachers, they said that the Jarawas understand the value of money and they do visit shops and buy whatever they want. When we asked them about availability of alcohol to Jarawas, they denied such things saying that they are not aware of it. When asked about people visiting the Reserve, once again they feigned ignorance.

The unconcerned and apathetic stance of the villagers speak volumes about the kind of relationship they have with the tribes. Everyone plays safe while dealing with the issue of Jarawas keeping themselves at a safe distance from the issue.

"Jarawas have started speaking Bengali and Tamil," said Mohan Haldar, Pradhan, Tushnabad Panchayat. Mohan is now a bit cautious and wary after the Kadamtala incident. Earlier, he used to reel out a list of demands by Jarawas and also used to send regular petitions to the authorities demanding compensation for the damages caused by Jarawas. "We need to be very careful dealing with the Jarawas, as its a very sensitive issue," he said.

"We need to form Village Task Force as suggested by former LG Vakkom Purushottaman, comprising of youth who will act as watch groups to check poaching by the settlers," he suggested.  The changed stance of the Pradhan is a welcome step, which needs to be properly channelized to bring a meaningful change at the village level. "There are a few poachers, who spoil the name of the village and they are identifiable too," he said. "If the Forest and Police personnel do their duty properly, this can be easily checked," he added. Moreover, he also blamed the AAJVS posted in Tirur who are hardly available in the village for a couple of hours.

A water supply scheme is coming up at the fringes of Jarawa Reserve at Tirur, the foundation stone of which was laid by P K Singh, Chief Engineer cum Secretary, APWD last week. The project will help more than three villages to get safe drinking water. However, if the Admn becomes casual, this spot will turn to be another hotspot for Jarawas. Without proper watch and vigil, there are chances of increased interactions between labourers and Jarawas. "The project should not be stalled for this issue," Mohan said. 'We are taking all necessary steps to avoid any kind of interactions," he said.

With the injured Jarawa discharged from hospital, and back in their Reserve, and with the cock and bull story invented by the Dept finding  place in the file, the issue may be deemed closed. However, if an independent agency investigates, the truth might spill out which may pave way for a proper recourse to the never-ending saga of poaching in Jarawa Reserve in Tirur.

Tuna Mission 2009-2014: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS

VOL. 35 | ISSUE. 09 | FRIDAY | 26 AUGUST 2011 |

Tuna Mission 2009-2014

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

The hype around Tuna Mission may not be a farce, but the mission might crash land before take-off due to the haphazard and piecemeal way of implementation. Lack of proper coordination between different agencies involved and the half-hearted approach of Department of Fisheries, the nodal agency, is pushing the mission backwards.

By Zubair Ahmed

A department, which has miserably failed to promote fisheries at local level and is groping through a dark tunnel, has ventured into an ambitious project, without men, machinery and vision. On collision with everything under its patronage, the department under Dr Krishnamurthy has already lost its face and confidence beyond recovery.

The genesis of Tuna Mission 2009-2014 under such a department is indeed a very interesting story. The continental shelf area of India is around 5.12 lakh sq. kms. The Exclusive Economic Zone around the Islands is 6.00 lakh sq kms, accounting for 30% of the total EEZ of the country The fishing zone under the command of Andaman and Nicobar Administration is upto 12 Nautical miles. If by a rough estimate, from the Northern tip to the Southern tip of the Islands, the area upto 12 Nautical Miles is calculated the area under the licensing command of the administration will be approximately 44000 sq kms.

The estimated potential yield of tuna resources in the EEZ around the Islands is about 64500 MT. Out of these three varieties are oceanic and available only in the deep sea, which are commercially viable in the international export market - Bigeye tuna - 500 MT, Yellow Fin Tuna - 24000 MT and Skipjack Tuna - 500 MT. There are three other varieties known as Neritic Tuna, available in the territorial or coastal zone with a potential of approximately 18000 MT which has no value in export market and has only local market. But, Khatta Bhangdi is a big no for locals. The Tuna Mission proclaims that the above varieties of Tuna is available in the Exclusive Economic Zone, but it never mentions that how much tuna is available in the 45000 sq kms, which comes under the licensing command of the administration. The three high value variety is oceanic variety and highly migratory in nature. And it's a fact that the assessment of the migratory route of tuna is still unknown and a mystery.

According to experts, there are two branches of tuna which migrates to Andaman Sea. It starts from Eastern Africa and moves towards South to Gulf of Eden and diverts eastwards towards Pakistan, Gujarat coast and comes down to Kerala Coast, from where it splits into two branches and moves towards Lakshadweep and Vizag. It is still unknown about the movement route of tuna from either of these branches. All assessment of the route of tuna migration is based on assumptions.

As per the Mission, the Department of Fisheries with the technical help of National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) on the basis of FSI’s findings will be initially installing 10 Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) at various locations in the Islands within the territorial waters. The use of FADs to attract and hold species of fishes like tuna is a recent significant development in the tuna fisheries in many countries.  Speaking to LOA, Dr NV Vineeth Kumar, Director, NIOT said that deployment of FADs has been quite successful in Lakshadweep, where fishermen were trained to catch fish around the FADs. He said that the aggregation of tuna fish has also increased around the FADs. However, the catch is that the most of the FADs will be placed in the coastal zone for the benefit of local fishermen with small crafts, and in this zone, deep sea vessels are not permitted to fish, which will adversely affect the tuna catch. Moreover, the quality of tuna available in the coastal zone is not of export quality. High quality tuna variety is available in deep sea, where only big vessels can venture.

Why Andaman and Nicobar have been made the base of Tuna Mission is also questionable. The Department of Fisheries, mired in various controversies due to its inefficiency and inaction in promoting fisheries at local level, has been made the nodal agency for implementation of this grand mission. “I cannot understand, why MPEDA is not fully involved in this project. MPEDA is treated as a pariah by the department,” said Bhaskar, President Andaman Chamber of Commerce. He also added that the local fishermen are not competent enough to catch tuna. Most astonishing fact is that in a report published in 2000 by Fisheries Survey of India, which is active in surveys and reporting about fish aggregation reports that the hooking rate of Yellow fin tuna is just 0.83%, Bigeye tuna - 0.003% and skipjack tuna is only 0.03%, which means that the combined hooking rate per 100 hooks will be hardly 1% of tuna.  Moreover, the combined catch per 100 hooks including shark and other fish species is just 37%. However, Dr D.L. Ramalingam, Zonal Director, FSI told LOA that 1% of tuna is a huge quantity and is profitable. The Mission is already off-track as two precious years has been lost and it has already overshot the short term targets without achieving anything. When asked about the delay in implementation of the Mission, Dr. Krishnamurthy, Director, Fisheries Dept said that they had to face many hurdles like arranging the loan component from banks for procurement of boats. As per the plan of action, by 2011, it should have introduced 50 Nos. of deep sea fishing vessels through private enterprise, which is yet to take off. He said that the department is giving subsidy upto 50% for tuna specific boats costing about Rs 15 Lakhs. However, the crafts suggested by the Fisheries department bring another sham to the fore.

The size of a Bigeye tuna is approximately 170 kg, Yellowfin 160-180 kg and Skipjack about 40 kg. The department is planning to convert and improve about 200 motorized dinghies (also called boats) for tuna fishing. These dinghies cannot venture into deep sea for tuna fishing and even if they catch tuna of the size mentioned above, how much quantity can these dinghies carry? Will they be able to maintain the export quality of fish onboard the dinghies with small iceboxes? And if the modified small motorized traditional crafts fish in the coastal areas, they will be harvesting the Neritic tuna, which is not preferred in the International export markets. This variety does not have a local market too as the local population equally detest this variety. Likewise, the tuna specific crafts of 10-12 mtrs proposed by the department on a subsidy of 50% are also not fit for tuna fishing. Tuna fish is prone to histamine formation after decomposition, which is highly allergic and not acceptable for export. It requires to be preserved in a controlled temperature, which is impossible on the crafts suggested by the department. A fishing expert speaking to LOA on anonymity said that the department is not interested in involving premier institutions like CIFTNET and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) based in Kerala, who have the technical expertise in designing tuna specific crafts and training the fishermen.

With time running out and no specific plan at place to identify prospective fishermen either from the Islands or mainland for tuna fishing, the various components of the Mission is lagging behind like any other developmental project in the Islands. The department has not initiated any action to develop ancillary infrastructure required once the mission takes off. On the ground, the  department has initiated the process of deployment of FADs with the technical help of FSI and NIOT. It has also started conversion of small boats. However, Bhaskar is skeptical and told LOA that this mission is not going to happen by 2014.  “How can such a mission be implemented in piecemeal basis? It should be taken up in turnkey basis and implemented with high zeal,” said Bhaskar.  But, Dr Ramalingam, Zonal Director, FSI was very positive and said that conclusions cannot be drawn so quickly. He further added that FADs will not just aggregate tuna. There will be other fishes too. When asked whether the FADs will be placed on the migratory route of tuna, he said that It is impossible to assess the route and FADs will be placed at locations as per the surveys.

The FADs, to be deployed will be useful for the local fishermen and the catch will naturally improve. But, how is it going to help the Tuna Mission cannot be predicted.

The only Fishing Training Centre in Port Blair has been auspiciously closed down due to the inactivity of the present director. The complete infrastructure is in shambles. Now, once again, in the name of Tuna Mission, funds will flow to revive it and later leave to the mercy of nature, by the time the administration realize that the mission was impossible. However, in a year, the incumbent director will be on superannuation and in 2014, when the mission is supposed to reach its pinnacle, he will not be there to blame.

Jarawa 'Circus' Boomerangs

Jarawa 'Circus' Boomerangs

By Zubair Ahmed

With the arrest of three poachers from Kadamtala under PAT Regulation, 1956, a new modern-day Enmei myth has been busted. It was widely reported in local and national media that a group of ten Jarawa youth out of hunger and desperation had ventured out of the forest and met the Gram Pradhan demanding food, school and a rendezvous with the Lieutenant Governor and Deputy Commissioner. As per the report, they had a huge list of demands ready.

As per the release issued by ANI Admn, on 03 Oct 2013, 10 Jarawas had reached Kadamtala Panchayat office demanding rice and eatables besides meeting with govt. officials. As per enquiry conducted by AAJVS authorities, some persons had gone into Jarawa habitat Hocha Botha (western coast) and stayed for 02 days for hunting. Further, they provided the Jarawas with rice, cooking oil and other eatables etc. instigated them to meet the Pradhan for food and other items.

During investigation the accused persons namely Maharaja Bala @ raja, Surender @ Surin and Rahul Mondal, all three residents of Kadamtala, have been arrested. All three have been remanded to 14 days judicial custody.

These persons were found to be habitual intruders into the Jarawa Reserve Area and it is learnt that they used to supply alcoholic substances to Jarawas.

However, the story does not end there. On 2 Oct 2013, Maharaja Bala, a blacksmith by profession and a regular poacher had invited the Jarawas to his house, which is on the fringes of the Reserve. About ten Jarawa youth instigated by Maharaja came to his house and stayed the whole night. Maharaja, always wanted to sell his wares to Jarawas, and kept instigating them against the quality of iron implements supplied by the Tribal Welfare Department. He had also added a demand to their list saying that they require the services of a blacksmith to repair their implements.

The Pradhan of the village, Sampat Kumar Roy too joined them and tutored them what to say. According to reliable sources, both Maharaja and Sampat had brought two bottles of liquor (On Gandhi Jayanti, a dry day) and served the Jarawas. "Liquor will give you enough strength to be bold to face the officers," they were reportedly told. Sampath had also asked them not to budge to any kind of appeasement and not board any vehicle, if AAJVS staff asked them to.

It is also learnt that two more poachers, Swapan Biswas and Suresh were also accompanying the Jarawas on the night of 2 October. Both of them are absconding.

Its intriguing why the Pradhan Sampath Kumar Roy, the ringmaster of the circus has been let off. He is very vocal about mainstreaming of Jarawas, which is not a crime, but he was also present at Maharaja's house, that too with a bottle of liquor and tutored them how to perform in front of the officers. Misled and misguided, the Jarawas parroted the lines taught to them. It is also learnt that Jarawas have now realized their mistake and are also on the lookout for the poachers, who misbehaved with them. "We will beat them if we get them,' Affee, the Jarawa youth told the source.

There are many messiahs of the Jarawas who are in a haste to bring them into the mainstream, for their own advantage. Speaking to LOA, a senior anthropologist said that settlers have always felt Jarawa to be an hindrance in their development and wants them to be settled in one of the uninhabited Islands. "They are eyeing their land and resources," he said.

The welfare of the Jarawas and their territory has been entrusted to three agencies - AAJVS, Police and Forest Dept. In a seminar organised by Anthropological Survey of India (ASI), Secretary Tribal Welfare had mentioned that the Admn has already identified a few hotspots where interactions and barters with the Jarawas take place. However, lack of proper coordination between the three agencies have resulted in many such excesses in the tribal reserves. A report by one of the Expert Committee on Jarawa Policy had mentioned that rice has already found inroad into Jarawa lifestyle.

In Tirur, Wright Myo and Kadamtala, poachers frequently venture into Jarawas Reserves for hunting deer and wild boars, depleting their resource base. Recently, a Dinghi was captured in Wright Myo in which forest dept seized about 8 deers - out which five were alive. Although, the Dinghi was seized there were no arrests made. The modus operandi of the forest beat staff is to let off the perpetrators and only seize the contraband. Large scale timber poaching is also reported from all these areas. In another incident which was reported by LOA, a group of forest staff who had ventured into the Reserve to extract cane and ballies were ambushed by the Jarawas and all their belongings were snatched.

Many such incidents are in the knowledge of forest officials, but no action is ever taken. It is also learnt that the welfare officers looking after the Jarawas have time and again reported about poachers in villages who frequent the Reserve and set traps to catch wild boar and deer.

Recently, police had booked cases against fishermen who were found fishing inside the Buffer Zone. Although, PAT regulations have been made stringent, due to non-application, poachers freely carry out their misdemeanors. PAT Regulation prescribes stringent punishment of imprisonment up to 7 years.

Unless the hotspots are plugged properly and tight watch on poachers in the villages increased, interaction between Jarawas and Settlers cannot be checked. As of now, there are 408 Jarawas in Tirur, Middle Strait and Kadamtala, and the resource base is sufficient for them, only if it is protected from the poachers. It is not the Jarawas who are venturing out to mingle with the Settlers, but its the other way round, which requires awareness as well as implementation of the stringent laws, as tweeted by the Lieutenant Governor.

It is very unfortunate that the villagers/settlers living in the fringes of Tribal reserves are ignorant about the history and lives of Jarawas. It is high time that knowledge about the tribes and their rights to life, land and livelihood are incorporated in the school curriculum so that at least the next generation does not carry the notion that the so-called 'junglees' are a nuisance and hindrance in the march of progress and development.

Operation Lahri: System Failure, Aborting Task

Operation Lahri:

System Failure, Aborting Task

Part-time responsibility will only yield part-time results. High time, ANI Admn puts in place a separate Food and Drugs Administration to keep a tab on unregulated flow of dangerous drugs in the open market.

By Zubair Ahmed

By the time the Andaman and Nicobar Admn grasps the need for a full-fledged division with a Drug Controller, Licensing Authority and Drug Inspectors, as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945, it would be too late. As of now, Drug Controller and Licensing Authority are rolled into one and the Director of Health Services has been ex officio notified, which is totally against the provisions of the Rules.

The Drug Controller and Licensing Authority are two different posts, with specialisation in Clinical Pharmacology or Microbiology. The Director at present is ex-officio notified as the Drug Controller, which does not serve any purpose. Moreover, he doesn't qualify for the post.

There are two notified ex-officio Drug Inspectors –Allopathic and Ayurveda. “With additional charges, it’s very difficult to monitor the whole territory,” Dr Paul, Director, Heath Services told LOA.

“There are two posts created for Drug Inspectors, which is lying vacant till now due to delay in finalizing the RR,” said Dr Paul.

Satyavan Singh, Pharmacist, Ayurveda, is holding the charge of Ayurveda Drug Inspector. Narayan, another Pharmacist is again ex-officio notified as Drug Inspector, Allopath.

“We do not have laboratories to check the drugs and we are trying to tie up with accredited laboratories in mainland,” said Dr. Paul.

There have been cases of Over the Counter (OTC) drug abuses throughout the territory. According to reliable sources, cases of abuse of Spasmo Proxyvon were reported from Car Nicobar where more than 13 youngsters died due to cardiac dilation in the last two to three years, which were attributed to the drug.

The alarming proportion of abuse of Codeine-based cough syrups and its availability in the nook and corner of the Islands reported by LOA in 2012 (COVER STORY: C-Company: Silent Killer on Prowl) had exposed the extent of the issue.

"There is no restriction on Ayurvedic medicines being sold by anyone," Satyavan Singh says. However, if the drug contains contraband like narcotics, according to Health authorities, it comes under the purview of police.

There seems to be blatant ignorance on one side and total evasion of one's responsibility. It is learnt that not a single case has been filed yet.

Its high time the  authorities wake up and put in place a system to monitor the free flow of dangerous and hazardous drugs in the market. Till then, it would be prudent on the part of the heath authorities to at least move out of the cosy chambers and find a way out using the existing mechanism instead of shirking responsibility.

Operation Lahri: NARCOTICS IN CLASSROOMS

Operation Lahri:

NARCOTICS IN CLASSROOMS

If slowly our children in the Islands are turning Sadhus and Sufis by hooking on to bhang to achieve spiritual bliss and transcend higher planes of meditation, there is much to worry.

By Zubair Ahmed

Classrooms in many schools have turned into drug dens with students experimenting and exploring easily accessible narcotic formulations. Instead of jaljeera and gems, their curiosity has now found cure in a new packet more potent than Gutkha and Pan Masala.

When four Class IX students of a prominent school in Port Blair were rusticated for attending classes in intoxicated state, it revealed some shocking realities. “The students were found in a trance laughing non-stop for hours, which raised suspicion. It was found that they had consumed something called Lahri," Principal of the school told LOA. One Class XI student was also found in possession of Ganja.

The Light of Andamans on a week-long drug trail found that school students are swiftly getting addicted to a beautifully packed drug sold in the market by the brand name Lahri - Manukka Pachak Vati, which contains marijuana in the concoction, manufactured by an oblivious Ayurvedic firm Shukla Ayurvedic Pharmacy based in Indore.

Initially LOA team tried to find the source of ganja. Most of the peddlers are now underground after a major crackdown by the police. It was a bit tough to get a pudiya. Nevertheless, it’s available for all those desperate souls looking for it. The team could however manage to get three sachets from three different peddlers at a premium at designated places in the city.

Curiosity about Lahri took the team to various provision stores in the city, which stocked the so-called 'Ayurvedic Medicine', and without any inhibition the team could procure it from almost three shops. Although the sachet states it to be an "Ayurvedic Medicine" and a Schedule E(1) drug, only to be taken under medical supervision, its available for Rs 5 per sachet in roadside shops. Actually priced at Re 1, this is the only narcotic substance which is easily accessible to everyone including children for meager Rs 5/- cheaper than a Paan.

It may be shocking for many, but its common knowledge among the connoisseurs who call it bhang. "We don't use this substance as it’s the poor man's nasha," said an old addict, who claims to be clean now. "We used to have it when we were broke," he added.

Bhang may be a taboo for many, but in a disguise Lahri is sold as a digestive aid – Pachak Vati. When we approached an Ayurvedic physician, he could not even recognise it and was shocked to know that it’s available in the open market.

The composition on the Lahri packet states 12 different components like manuka (rajence) 20%, Shakkar Bura 10%, Shudh Vijaya 12%, Sengha Namak 5%, Jeera 10%, Badi Ilaichi 1%, Khajur 20%, Gud 5%, Nimbu Satt 2%, Kala Namak 5%, Kali Mirch 2%, Ajwain 8%, but does not mention marijuana or cannabis anywhere.

Odourless, the substance can be consumed anywhere unassumingly. It has become a hit among school students in the city and sold like hotcake in many shops. When our contact reached a shop and demanded 'munakka' as it’s called by users, the shopkeeper corrected him and told him to ask for "Lahri." He took out the sachet from his cashbox. Another shop at Junglighat had stocked the sachets in a gunny bag.

Very recently cases of students attending classes in inebriated state were also reported from two more schools in the city. “Without secure compounds, how can one monitor movement of outsiders inside school campuses?” asks a Physical Education Teacher.

“We see vehicles parked near the school campus in suspicious situations, and we have already informed the police,” said a Principal. “There are gangs who supply the contrabands to the students,” he added.

A cramped classroom with more than 60 students in a class is the bane of our Islands, where every time we hear the rhetoric that there is no shortage of funds. “How can we keep watch on all students and their actions, when we have to complete syllabus as well as maintain proper records of each student as ordained by CCE pattern?’ asks a teacher.

The Directorate of Health Services typically remains ignorant of such drugs being peddled through general stores. Such a narcotic preparation, more potent than gutkha or pan masala is beyond the radar of Health Services as the Island lags behind by 60 years in the proper implementation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. Only a few cosmetic changes here and there are at place for State Drugs Controller, Licensing Authority and Drug Inspectors.

The indifferent attitude of the parents and civil society in identifying and monitoring such practices is another curse. The gravity of the issue is discussed and forgotten without any apt action. “Serious engagement by the Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) can play a major role in keeping a watch and curbing such practices in educational institutions,” said a teacher who feels that most of the Associations are for namesake.

In 2009, in Pune same product with a different brand name "Tarang" was confiscated by police. The preparation was sent to a forensic laboratory for chemical analysis and it confirmed the presence of the contraband. After an expert’s conclusion, cases were filed under the relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Two cases were registered in 2010, but the figure rose to 10 in 2011.

It is indeed startling that in our Islands, where there is no proper monitoring of drugs sold over the counter and in provision stores, undoubtedly, easy accessibility to such dangerous drugs will be disastrous.

Adieu, Andaman…

Adieu, Andaman…

By Sajan Gopalan

It will be with mixed feelings that I will be ending my three year sojourn in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  Shortly I will be going back to Thiruvananthapuram Doordarshan. That is one advantage of difficult station postings in government service. After the required tenure you will be given a choice posting. Three years had been a long time and I ache to get back.

But looking back this had been a very rewarding experience. It is not that I have asked specifically for this posting. It was just a routine transfer. I was in the midst of one of the most ambitious  projects I have ever undertaken in Doordarshan: Green Kerala express, the first ever social reality show in Indian Television. After that I felt that it was a well earned break.

And what a wonderful experience it turned out be. Far off from Indian mainland. Far off from mainstream society, politics and media. Far off from memory. Even journalist friends ask me whether you need a visa to come here. This used to be the ‘ kalapani’ where great freedom fighters were incarcerated. There was never a point in time when these islands were part of Indian history unless otherwise the British wanted a penal settlement to dumb their political rivals. It was just an accident in history.

At one point of time there were people here from almost half of Indian districts. From almost all the states. People here fondly call it the ‘mini India.’ Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Ranchi and many others who shared a landscape and a destiny with the original inhabitants  like Jarawas, Onges, Sentinels, Great Andamanese, Shompens and the Nicobarese who inhabited  these islands for the last many millennia.  An interesting mix of cultures, languages, lifestyles and routines. I could easily feel at home. And what a beautiful canvas of bright colours that nature has kept in store. And the beauty of the unpredictability of weather.

I will be missing all this when I go back.

But in the beginning we were a little skeptical in making a total shift of the family.

“Father, do you know what Ruskin Bond has said about staying in an island?” My son Abu asked: “An island may sound romantic, but go and live in one, you will be bored in a week.”

Ruskin Bond is the chronicler of mountains. What does he know about sea and beaches? We tried to cheer up ourselves. And while scanning through the atlas and wondering at this unfamiliar landscape, we were amazed to find that there are 572 islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Islands, islets and rocks to be precise. One day per island and by that time  the tenure will be over, or so we thought.

And we just dived into this new experience of landscapes, friendships and travels. We have travelled to almost all the 39 inhabited islands and other places of pristine beauty and rich biodiversity. We travelled in almost all modes of travel from dinghies to big ships. We mixed with all types of people and ate all types of foods. We walked into terrains where people are destined to live far off from all modern amenities. We heard their music, joined their dances and tasted their drinks. We made a lot of friends and that made all the difference.

Ours is a land without crime, islanders are proud to pronounce. It is a peaceful place, one former chief secretary told me. ‘Boringly peaceful’ he quipped.

Island life is determined by what can be defined as ‘boat time, ’says Dr. Francis Xavier. By the time you reach the jetty the last boat has departed. Or the sea is turbulent and the schedule is cancelled. You have nothing else to do other than wait for the next boat.  There is no meaning in hurrying. Learn to wait. This mindset is almost all pervading.

So the whole experience was unique in its own way.

Professionally I am not very happy about whatever small steps I could take in Doordarshan. But it was here that  I learned about the importance of being with the public service broadcaster. Doordarshan is the only television producing facility which operates in these distant islands. Mainstream satellite channels and mainland media  will develop an interest only when there is a tsunami or a case with the Jarawas. If Doordarshan were also not here, there is no facility which can link up all the remote inhabited islands. No one to tell them basic things like the ship timings or alert them about impending natural calamities. Only system which can be effectively tapped for educating people on new systems of farming, improved health systems and telling them about history of their own people.

It is a matter of debate how effectively this is being done. I have no tall claims. But we could make a strong foundation. There is so much to be done on recruiting personnel and upgrading infrastructure. We urgently need a Regional News Unit. We need to increase transmission timings and start educational broadcasts. We need to have more interactive programmes  with open windows through which the common wo/man can speak to those in charge. Our initiatives on the first ever inter island quiz, music reality show, historical debates etc got good appreciation. We could do some good documentaries on Barren island, biodiversity, Baratang and other tourist destinations. We could redesign Dweep Darpan programme with inputs from far off islands. This has been a major channel of communication between administration and the people. We have a well knit relationship with the defence establishment. We are well coordinated with the disaster management cell and were the first to reach the spot when there was a major alarm last year. Our farm based programmes are mostly field based and well appreciated. We have specially targeted  programmes for children and women.  We have commenced the live telecast of Independence day and Republic day parades. We have initiated the national telecast of the Island Tourism festival through DD Bharati and live on all other days in the local channel.

But this is not sufficient and we know that. Only thing that I can assure you is that Prasar Bharti is keenly working on the up gradation.

But the whole experience has opened up for me a new insight on what a public broadcaster ought to do. In one of the wanderings into the far off hillocks I chanced upon a small house of a farmer where I saw a small child sitting and watching the educational programmes in Doordarshan which is the only channel available to them. This sight brought to my mind the oft repeated and soberly clichéd talisman of Mahatma Gandhi wherein he asks us to ponder over the face of the poorest and weakest in the society and just think how your work  is going to affect them. I knew then that this small child in the far off hamlet in these distant islands is the person I should be targeting when I plan my programmes. But I could not convince my conscience that I am doing sufficient for her. Sufficient amount of education, information and entertainment. Sounds clichéd? But there are unforgettable truths in clichés which are looked down with contempt because of over familiarity.

But media is not existing in vacuum. The sorry state of local media in small towns of India need deeper analysis. Port Blair can be taken as a case study. This is particularly so since these islands continue to be a Union Territory which has been denied a meaningful democratic process. It is the absence of political participation which has failed to create a melting pot of various cultures and languages into the creation of a meaningful Andamanian identity. But considering the strategic importance attached to this geographic terrain this may be a distant reality. But there are a few youngsters in media like Zubair, Sanjib and Denis who are the hope for the future of serious journalism in these islands.

An array of unforgettable faces flicker in memory while looking back to all those erratic travels. Gopinath Jeem the lonely resident in Trinket Island who is one of the happiest persons I have ever met.  Debnath Biswas who refuses to leave his small abode in Rutland island even when a ‘Delhi company’ threatens to displace him by buying all the surrounding land. Rupali Dutta who has to walk ten kilo meters every day to go to school. The Ranchi woman who despite being terminally ill braves the adversities of life through her favourite songs.  And many others who teach us the art of survival, facing the tedious struggles of life with a graceful smile. It is from these villagers that we learn about the magic of rustic Indianness.

We can also be proud of the fact that myself and my wife Bindu Sajan were instrumental in bringing a film production unit to Andaman to shoot the film ‘Aakasathinte Niram’ directed by Dr. Biju which was fully shot in the enchanting Neil Island. Bindu was also the Associate Director of the film.  It is a pleasant feeling to see that this film has got more than five state,  national and International  awards and has gone to more than 28 international festivals thus acting as a major vehicle  to attract global attraction to this distant landscape.

All those who have studied about these islands have pointed out what they euphemistically call a small island syndrome. Small island geography, small island economy, small island psychology and the like. It will be educative if some academic decides to go deep into this. The geographical alienation and the resultant stagnation of development process has created a shell into which individuals and the society has confined itself. This could be the only major town in India even without a cinema theatre. That means even for entertainment there is no public space. But to compensate this, the town has the largest density of dark Dickensian drinking holes. There is no opportunity for an aspiring singer, writer or orator. Their fate is decided by unseen babus deputed from Delhi.

And to think of it I am also probably one among them. I am also going back. Then how long will these momentary anxieties persist with me? May be after a few months it will linger in some evening get together when I start saying..’while I was in Port Blair..’ Friends unused to this territory will pretend interest for some time for the sake of courtesy.

But I am sure that those very words will sprinkle into my memory those lovely beaches, blue sea and the green canopy.’ Emerald, blue and me’  as they proclaim in their tourism brochure. And I will think about friends who taught me the value of togetherness and for a fraction of a second the face of that small girl in the remote hamlet will flicker in memory. How much has she grown up? Has there been a small change in her life for whatever I have tried to achieve? I may not get any satisfactory answer. And then I will go back to other mundane topics in the evening conversation. Since time is the factor which creates maximum distances all this will be forgotten.

But before that I want to thank all these nice innocent and friendly people of these islands for all the new insights that they have given me. Thanks for all those lovely evenings and lively debates. Thanks for the strolls in the empty beaches. Thanks for sustaining the spirit to survive for three long years which would otherwise have been a solitary journey.

Remembering Capt. Asheem Kumar Bhattacharjee

Remembering Capt. Asheem Kumar Bhattacharjee

N. Francis Xavier

More than fifteen years ago a young man came to my office with his father. He was to send his application for SSB but the last date was over. He had a ‘C’ Certificate from NCC Army.  I was officiating as Station Commander NCC that time. Seeing his enthusiasm I prepared a long letter recommending his case for consideration on account of the remoteness of the Andaman Islands and the frequent postal delays. I asked him to send his application along with the letter.

That was the last time I saw him alive.

The young man was Asheem Kumar Bhattacharjee, a student of M.Sc., Chemistry in JNRM.  His father was a well-known teacher.  I heard that he was selected and commission into the Gurkhas.

On 20 July 2000 a shocked Dr. Rath informed me that Capt. Asheem was killed in an encounter with militants in the Uri sector.  We rushed to his house in Prem Nagar to convey our condolences to the distraught parents. Then we met Hon’ble LG Shri IP Gupta who was very much upset at the news. He wanted to know when the body will be brought to Port Blair and visited the house to pay his respects. He also wanted a memorial to be built in memory of Capt. Bhattacharjee in JNRM and personally visited the college to select the site.

My memory is not clear but the body was brought by services aircraft two or three days later. The army unit in Birch gunj took over the funeral arrangements. With great sorrow I attended the funeral of Capt. Asheem. An officer who accompanied the body, a young Lieutenant narrated how Capt. Bhattacharjee, in charge of a Ghatak platoon charged the militants and shot down two of them before he was mortally wounded.  He was bleeding heavily from the wound during the evacuation and in great pain but refused to take morphine.  By the time he could get medical help it was too late. 

When I think of it sometimes I feel guilty. Perhaps he would have been alive still if his application was not accepted due to late submission.  But then, we would not have had our own hero, an inspiration for so many of our NCC cadets who wish to join the armed forces in the service of the Motherland.

Dule et decorum est pro patria mori

It is sweet and right to die for your country

Horace

When Sex Moves from Groins to Brains...

When Sex Moves from Groins to Brains...

Zubair Ahmed

One may have scruples, but nothing prevents two consenting adults from having sex in offices, lodges, government guest houses, bathrooms or even in cars; as it's not a cognizable offence. But when sex of senior government officers moves up from their groins and occupies the space in their brains, it assumes maniac proportion and become a matter for public concern. Even so, if it does not cloud official decisions, it remains within passable limits. But when it starts clouding the official decisions the situation starts going out of hand. A stage comes when the mania not only affects official decisions but also results in squandering public money to entice the gullible ‘victims’. Once it reaches that stage, the professional hawks take over and start exploiting the weakness of the man who sits on piles of money and his one signature can move lakhs and lakhs – of taxpayers’ money, from the government treasury to their kitty.

Sex in offices is not a new phenomenon by any stretch of imagination. It is used by both the sexes some times, just for pleasure. But the mechanics is not that simple either. There are smart workers who exploit the weakness of their bosses for money, appointment, transfer, relatives’ appointment, promotions and; also to get even with rivals in service. There are stories of sex maniacs who would keep their hardworking subordinates waiting outside their chambers for hours together when they are in the company of daily rated female workers enjoying tea and snacks; at the cost of genuine public work. Even officers of assistant secretary and deputy director level have many such tales to tell. It is a different matter that they would not say that on record, for obvious reasons.

The system of Daily Rated Mazdoors has eased the situation for such hawks that look for pretty women for DRM and keep them in offices instead of sending them to fields for work. In every office such DRMs can be seen and their behaviour and attitude itself would tell the story. One need not gaze at a crystal ball to find such characters. A look at the list of selected candidates in the appointments of daily rated mazdoors in various departments would tell a lot of juicy stories. 

But it starts pinching all the more when elements of coercion enter into it. The world is full of contradictory characters. There are four pure, chaste and moral women for each licentious woman in the society. They find it hard to adjust with a morally corrupt system where they have to respond positively to the amorous overtures of their bosses to obtain even their legitimate dues. If they don’t respond positively, they are harassed, insulted and humiliated. Their ACR’s are spoiled and promotions held up. There are many such stories.

The new financial rules have put enormous powers in the hands of the Heads of Departments and the secretary level officers. There are reasons to believe that such powers are misused to obtain sexual gratification too. Lately, cases have come to our knowledge that girls are flown down to Port Blair by big time business who fly in, obtain large orders and in return provide what the benefactor wants; money or women.

The sporadic episodes of sexual exploitations in workplaces that appear in the media are considered abominations and the character of the victim is always deemed dubious, where the perpetrator gets away clean or the issue is settled with interventions and negotiations by leaders and politicians. The issues never got serious attention beyond the police stations where cases are filed and withdrawn.

The malaise has reached a stage where it has started hurting the simple, innocent and hardworking women employees who wish to remain faithful to their husbands and family values.

These were till now discussed on social media, drawing rooms and in coffee houses; though in hushed tones. Its good to see Lt Governor setting up an high level committee to inquire into a complaint of sexual harassment of an employee of APWD.  The Committee will also look into any violation of various statuary obligations at any level of the Administration and submit its report within 7 days. Till the truth comes out, character assassination of the complainant or the alleged will only gratify the hunger of rumour-mongers.       

Keeping the Hope Alive! Tasks Ahead for the New Administrator

Keeping the Hope Alive!

Tasks Ahead for the New Administrator

By Zubair Ahmed

"The cry of the poor is not always just. But if you don't listen to it, you will never know what justice is." ‑ Howard Zinn

Certainly we do not have a choice in selecting our Administrator. But, sometimes by coincidence we are bestowed with Lt. Governors, who prove their mettle and leave a mark. 

Even though It's too early to presume and judge the new Administrator, Lt Gen (Retd) A K Singh, PVSM, AVSM who took over the helms of the Island territory this month., he has already suffocated to death the ardent and critical critic in me with his healing touch and down to earth disposition. But, once again the skeptic in me keeps pestering and reminding me about the events that unfolded some six and half years back when Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh took over as the Administrator.

FLASHBACK

On December 29, 2006 at 11.45 AM, when Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh AVSM, PVSM was administered the oath of office and secrecy for the office of the Lt. Governor and Administrator, he had declared, "I don’t believe in operating from the office alone. I would be touring extensively. I would like to keep my ears to the earth so that I could feel the rumblings inside. That way, I believe, I will be able to serve the people better and meet their hopes and aspirations in a more positive and effective way. I will work in close cooperation with the stakeholders and nothing would be imposed from above."

The Lieutenant Governor and Administrator Bhopinder Singh too went on a whirlwind tour of the territory from Campbell Bay to Diglipur apprising himself of the ground realities. He had extensive meetings with the local officials, PRI members and the common people. He listened to their problems, discussed developmental programmes and in many cases took spot decisions to solve the pressing problems of the people.

LG Bhopinder Singh repeated his five point philosophy in every meeting. He exhorted the officials to complete the developmental projects in a time bound manner, to send him the feedback on progress of work at regular intervals; weekly, if possible. He also emphasised the need for the officers to be accessible to the common people, listen to their problems and expedite solutions. He demanded total transparency in governmental works and system. Bhopinder Singh assured that there was no shortage of funds for developmental works but the funds should be spent judiciously.

The Light of Andamans on 24 Feb 2007 editorialized:

"The motorcade of the dignitaries would zoom past the devastated fields filling the nostrils of farmers with dust. That is where Lt. Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, Lt. Governor makes the difference. He is the man who thought it fit to go into the villages, talk to the people, realise their pains, understand their problems and put his hand of sympathy on their shoulders. That is the least a mortal can do. It is not the shelters; it is not the free ration, it not the permanent houses that drive a man to fight against odds in life, overcome tragedies. It is the encouragement, the sympathy, the understanding that acts as moral boosters."

Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh also captured the hearts of the Islanders when he spoke off the cuff at Island Tourism Festivals and at other occasions, and at many times announcing various schemes and projects, which either he could not follow up or the bureaucracy could not materialize for him.

Still, after six and half years, when the incumbent Lieutenant Governor takes a similar route, the Islanders are overwhelmed. When a soft word, a sympathetic look, an encouraging sentence, sensitivity towards common man’s feelings are at a premium, a little step with a healing touch makes people forget the past and erase all bad memories. They expect miracles.

When Lt Governor A K Singh visited the crocodile victim at GB Pant Hospital and put his hands of compassion on Lipus Das' shoulders, all protocol barriers disappeared into thin air. Instead of calling the public hearing a 'Durbar' and standing with the public interacting with them as one among them bridged the gap between the ruler and the ruled. When he cycled with the Island team and even had a slight fall at the velodrome , he stood tall amongst them. When he invited a fisherman to cut the ribbon of fish landing centre at Diglipur, he was sharing power with the common man. Within a week of swearing in, wherever he went, he left his mark. He asked DGP not to hold traffic for long during his visits.

Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh too was generous with LG's Relief Fund, which he distributed among the needy and distressed frequently which earned him praise and admiration from all quarters. Otherwise, his inept administration and ill-advised decisions without outcome dented his image.

Indeed, for Lt Gen A K Singh, its a fresh beginning. Its easy to have spot decisions, but the proposal will take ample time to overcome the labyrinthine bureaucratic process. As in the case of  an ambulance for Nicobari settlement in Harminder Bay, Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh announced it on the spot during his first visit to Little Andaman in 2007. Till 2013, no ambulance reached Harminder Bay. But, can the Islanders be rest assured that Lt Gen AK Singh is not Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh?

After the familiarization tours, when the Lieutenant Governor settles down, he will need enough resolve to review all the projects and proposals in pipeline, entwined once again in various bureaucratic conundrums. A few projects that the Islanders are hearing since last one decade if gets proper attention will go a long way.

WATER FROM RUTLAND

Water from Rutland still remains a dream. Eight years and Rs 15 crores down the line, the elusive fresh water is still in Rutland and the parched throats in Port Blair. Let the Islanders pin their hope on the new Administrator to pursue vigorously the Rutland Water Supply Scheme to serve the people with water next summer; and not just promises!   

SUBMARINE OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE

Undersea Optical Fibre Cabling connecting mainland and Island was one of the promising projects which could have changed the face of the Islands by bringing it closer to the world. The bids have been opened and the L1 identified. However, the project, which is supposed to be complete in 18 months is dragging eternally for the last three years.

WET LEASE OF SHIPS/BOATS

The undue delay in the Wet Lease of Ships/Vessels to cater in the Inter-Island, Foreshore and Harbour sector is affecting the whole sea transport system.  With shortage of vessels on all routes, service is perennially hit especially vehicle ferries in Bambooflat-Chatham sector.

CHARTERED FLIGHT BETWEEN MAINLAND-ISLAND

Chartered Flight between Mainland-Island is another project the bureaucracy is scared to venture into. With sky-rocketing airfare between Mainland and Andamans, this proposal should have been pursued vigorously.

TOURISM PROJECTS

Many Short-term and Long-term Tourism Projects were envisaged in the Tourism Policy of the Islands, which still remains in paper.

RURAL ROADS

The worst condition of rural roads with Zilla Parishad and other two wings of PRI interested in expeditious spending’ of money and rather than ‘judicious spending’.

ALTERNATE SEA-ROUTE TO BARATANG

The deadline for Alternate Sea route to Baratang is March 2015. What has been done on this front is anybody's guess. The Administration has never taken it seriously or it would not have wasted precious five years.

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF N&M ANDAMAN DISTRICT

North and Middle Andamans is yet to be treated at par with South Andaman as a district. With great difficulty a separate district of North and Middle Andaman was created amidst its fair share of political controversies and bureaucratic red tapism. It finally has a separate Zilla Parishad, a degree college, a judicial court, a hospital, a few ports and helipads, a small airstrip and a few other facilities but is totally dependent on Port Blair for all its basic needs. For every other eventuality its residents are to rush to Port Blair, be it proceeding to mainland for higher education or super-specialist medical treatment at metros. Traders sitting at Port Blair control their markets and cost of living are much higher for all basic commodities. There is always resentment in the settlers at being a step behind the South Andamanians. A unambiguous blueprint needs to be prepared for the holistic development of NMA District making it independent and self-sufficient, and reducing its dependency on Port Blair and South Andaman.

POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

Presently, there is no shortage of power in the Islands with both IPP, HPP and department-owned power plants generating surplus electricity. But, the department lags behind in proper maintenance of lines and frequent disruptions and outages causing heavy T&D loss.

The Chief Secretary and his set of bureaucrats draw power from the Administrator, and if he shows the same commitment and resolve till the end of his tenure, he will surely be remembered as an outstanding Administrator as well as human being.

The tasks ahead for the new Administrator are daunting enough. But not impossible!