Photographing Jarawas will invite stringent action:A

Port Blair, Nov 17 (UNI) The Andaman and Nicobar administration has cautioned tourists against photographing the Jarawas on their reserves and said violators will face stringent action.

An official release here said the caution came following reports that travelers were taking photographs or videographing Jarawas in certain activities, which was against the rules and regulations framed for entering the Jarawa area.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to six tribal communities in which the Jarawas live in the South and Middle Andaman region and tourists traveling on the Andaman Trunk Road often come into contact with them.

''Since the Jarawas are one of the primitive tribes of A&N Islands and are not supposed to be promoted as a tourist attraction, visitors should not allow the Jarawas to get onto their vehicles while passing through the Jarawa area nor stop their vehicles in the area,'' the official release cautioned.

Commuters have also been warned against giving any eatables, clothes etc to the tribes.

This apart, people have been asked to drive their vehicles carefully and only in a convoy since solitary driving puts their life and property at risk. They have also been asked not to enter the tribal reserve forest without valid permit under the law, the release said.

Tour operators have also been cautioned against charging money for taking tourists to Jarawa areas. The operators have been asked to refrain from such tours or else it will attract penal action as per law.

However, in spite of warnings, tour operators are promoting Jarawa tourism in Andamans. Tourists are taken to Baratang island of Middle Andaman via Andaman Trunk Road, which cuts through the Jarawa Reserve Forest where often Jarawas can be seen in their primitive form.

UNI SKR PL AB DB1258