Jarawas of South Andaman - (series -1)
Tsunami and Great Andaman & Nicobar
Tribes - (series -1)
By Adarsh Varma
Some say they came from the northern parts of Africa,
but true evidences are still not found. They don’t know there is one
more
world outside there world. Modernity scare them development
surprise them. Where they came from? No one knows until now. People may
dispute they came up to South East Asia brought from Africa according
to the continental drift speculation, few may say their ancestors were
trading slaves being shipwrecked on the beautiful shores of Andaman
Islands. Off course it''s correct that all ships from Africa and India to China were to pass through Andaman islands
They
are self reliant and don’t require anything from outside there human
race. The fifth group is still not confirmed by the authorities,
nevertheless Andaman & Nicobar Islands consist of 5 tribal Groups,
still following their only one of its kind civilization and ethnicity
and resisting the wave of modernity and development. They are :
v Shompens of the Great Nicobar.
v Onges of the Little Andaman,
v Jarawas of South Andaman,
v Sentinelese of the Sentinel Islands
When spoken
to them they said they felt the earth quivering, they thought it’s the
anger of there gods on the mankind, which has made them see this
situation. Around 2,00,000 estimated dead in the Tsunami of 26th Dec 2004 . Andaman and Nicobar is made up of nearly 600 small, tiny and big islands in the Bay of Bengal. Nonetheless they are a part of India , physically, they are closer to Burma and Thailand than to the Indian mainland. They are grouped here with South India.
The
aboriginal tribes some of the oldest and most cut off in the world have
oral traditions apparently developed from previous earthquakes that may
have allowed them to escape to higher ground before the massive tsunami
struck the island chain off Indonesia.
Jarawas of the South Andaman:
They were
antagonistic till 1998 however now they are coming out of their
habitats to mix with the local people. remote from the cultured world,
Jarawas appear to be healthy with smooth skin, deep curly hair, long
and sturdy hands and legs and sturdy bones and are bodily fit for
hunting and fishing. This nomadic tribe is certainly not
welfare-dependent and manages to exist on hunting, fishing and
gathering activities. Their traditional food consists of wild boar,
turtles and their eggs, crabs, fruits and honey.
Recently turned friendly, Jarawas do not have canoes but use rafts to
cross the streams. Administration stretched their hands to this tribe
in 1974 and befriended them with gifts of bananas and coconuts .
Andamanese of the Strait Island:
While they
have motivated over to the up to date food cooked with spices, they
still go for hunting and jamboree at times and their traditional food
items consists of fish, dugong, turtle, turtle eggs, crabs, roots and
tubers along with pork, Andaman water monitor lizard, octopus, molluscs
taken out from shelled marine life such as turban shell, scorpion
shell, sundial, helmet, trochus and screw shell and various types of
crabs. Today, these people indulge in cultivating vegetables and
poultry farming.
Having once the largest population amongst all the tribes of Andaman Islands, their numbers had dwindled from 10,000 in the year 1798 to 19 in 1969.
Onges of the Little Andaman:
The clannish
artistic quality and craft has been urbanized but they are known for
making canoes. though, their laid back and reliant nature is their
major rival.
One of the most primitive tribes in India
that belongs to the Negritracial stock, they have been relegated to
the reserved pockets at Dugong Creek and South Bay of Little Andaman
Island and have been quickly dwindling in statistics. The semi-nomadic
tribes, completely reliant on environment for food, they are under the
wing of management, which has provided them with concrete hut type
houses, food, clothes, education and medicines. Their habitual food
consists of turtle, fish, and roots.
to be sustained…………