Tribal Tourism keeps Andaman worried

Port Blair, Jun 8 (UNI) The Andaman and Nicobar Administration is worried that the threat of concept tourism might harm the island's indigenous and vulnerable tribes.

After 'Jarawa Tourism' the threat of 'Sentinelese Tourism' has alarmed them.

A foreign company is now showcasing the Primitive Sentinelese Tribes to rich people, who opt for their luxury private Yatch holidays in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A leading luxury travel designer of Asia, with bases in some countries, is promising its customers to show the stone-age tribes of Sentinel Island, if adventurers join their private yacht holidays to these far-flung islands.

To gain further understanding of the archipelagos and its people, guests will visit the ruins of former colonial British fortifications, and have the unique opportunity to visit the aboriginals of the Sentinel Island, who still live according to Stone-Age times, their web-page says. Already Andaman and Nicobar Administration is reeling under the menace of Jarawa Tourism, where private tour operators take tourists inside Jarawa Tribal Reserve to show them Jarawa Tribals, illegally.

Even after repeated warnings and caution 'Jarawa Tourism' is prospering in the far-flung islands, pushing the tribe slowly towards disaster. However, after repeated attempts no one in Andaman's Tribal Welfare Department was available for comment.

The local Congress unit had already protested against such international advertisements, which could be disastrous for primitive tribal groups, who have been living in isolation for thousands of years.

''Jarawa Tourism is continuing for decades thanks to the policies and guidelines of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. Now foreign agencies are ready with their plans of Sentinelese Tourism in the name of Yatch Tourism.This must be stopped,'' demanded Chief Spokesperson of Andaman's Congress Unit K Ganeshan.

Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands houses six tribal communities, of which at least four are still living in a primitive stage. Jarawas, Sentinelese, Onges and Great Andamanese tribes are found in Andaman Group while Nicobari and Shompen Groups live in Nicobar Group of Islands.

UNI SKR PL NY KP1636