Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Survival International voices concern about "Human Safari Tours" in Andaman Islands


Survival International, which campaigns on behalf of tribal groups worldwide, has expressed very serious concern about "Human Safari Tours" in Andaman Islands. The group has identified eight travel groups in India promoting tours to see the indigenous Jarawa people and says this is threatening the very existence of Jarawas.
Jarawas were among the first people to migrate successfully from Africa to Asia. Presently the Jarawa number about 320 and live in the forests of South and Middle Andaman. They are nomadic, living in bands of 40-50.
It is pertinent to write here that the last speaker of "Bo", one of the 10 Great Andamanese languages, died in January at the age of 85. The threat to Jarawas can be easily ascertained from this incident.
Survival's director Stephen Corry says the Jarawa people lived successfully on their island without contact with outsiders for probably about 55,000 years, until 1998. In 1998, some Jarawa started coming out of their forest to visit nearby towns and settlements for the first time.
Have a look at the Survival International website here

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