The Hindu : New Delhi News : Centre sets up sub-group of experts on Jarawa tribe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Centre sets up sub-group of experts on Jarawa tribe

Aarti Dhar

The sub-group will suggest measures for bringing about improvement in the community

NEW DELHI: The Planning Commission has set up a sub-group of experts to look into issues pertaining to the endangered Jarawa tribe in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Chaired by Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed, the sub-group will review the existing administrative practices and institutional arrangements for protecting the Jarawas and suggest measures for bringing about improvement in the community. It will suggest measures for ensuring that adverse intrusions do not take place in the Jarawa Reserve while maintaining essential contact for appropriate development of the Jarawas as a community and at the same time making available basic facilities to them without disturbing their culture and identity.

The eight-member sub-group will also examine the feasibility of augmenting the sea transport as an alternative to the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR). It will submit its report within three months to the National Advisory Council (NAC).

"The Supreme Court had suggested the closure of the ATR on the recommendation of the Shekhar Singh Commission in 2002 to prevent intrusion in the Jarawa dominated area. But the road is still functional because it also involves the interest of thousands of other people and traders. The road is also used to provide basic amenities to the tribes," according to Jairam Ramesh, co-chairperson of the sub-group and NAC member. One way out could be to limit the use of the road to only most vital requirement and improve the quality and frequency of the sea communication, he said. In fact, the ATR being functional was a violation of the Supreme Court directive.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have six scheduled tribes, of which the Jarawas are the most vulnerable.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail