The Hindu : National : Bakhtawar Singh — a friend of the Jarawas

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Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

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Bakhtawar Singh — a friend of the Jarawas

By Lyla Bavadam

Bakhtawar Singh and the Jarawas: The first encounter (1970).

MUMBAI, JAN.11. For those familiar with the historic first attempts to contact the Jarawa tribe, the death of Bakhtawar Singh will indeed be the passing of an era. The retired Deputy Superintendent of the Andaman & Nicobar Police passed away on January 9 in Port Blair at the age of 89.

One of the most distinguished officers of the Islands, Bakhtawar Singh joined the Police Department in 1935. He won several honours and medals during his illustrious career. On his death, the Andaman & Nicobar administration described him as "a genial man known for his strict and honest ways of life, he held several important positions in the Police with distinction."

However, he will be remembered for his successful endeavour to establish contact with the reclusive and hostile Jarawa tribe in the early 1970s, which brought him international fame.

At the time, some traditional anthropologists termed the meeting ``a victory for civilisation,'' but Singh himself was characteristically reserved, preferring to sum it up by saying, "It made me very happy." His detailed recollection of that moment is unadorned by any self-congratulatory embellishments and sums up the simplicity and greatness of the man.

First encounter

Of that historic first encounter, he said, "We went by ship to their island. They were used to seeing us but never approached us and we did not force ourselves on them. As was our usual custom, I got into the dinghy to go ashore and leave friendship gifts. As I approached, they rushed out of the forest, onto the beach and into the water. There were 11 of them. This has never happened before and I didn't know what to expect. Naturally, given their reputation for being head-hunters, I was nervous but when I saw their faces I realised they had not come to fight. They were being friendly. I asked them, by gestures, to get into the boat and this they did. This was their first sign of trust. Then I took them to the ship. They were like children. After a while, I gave them gifts and took them back."

From then on, it was a matter of progressive friendship with Singh discovering small details of the Jarawas. "They liked the colour red," he recalled and when they wanted more gifts "they would tie empty vines alongside the vines that we had filled with gifts." Slowly small facets of their life came to light.

Hunting techniques

Their hunting techniques were of particular interest to him and he noted that "because of their isolation they had not, like other tribes, advanced to using dogs while hunting. Instead, they would themselves crawl into the undergrowth to retrieve their prey... this explained the thick bark matting they wore on their chests."

Even after his retirement, he continued his association with the Jarawas but lamented the poor tribal policy of the government saying it lacked "dedicated people with a spirit of service". He saw himself as a friend of the Jarawas and they reciprocated by placing their trust in him. Therelationship contributed immensely to their welfare and Singh brought Jarawas and non-tribal people closer.

Singh is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.

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