British MPs express concern over reports of Jarawas being goggled at by tourists
British MPs on Tuesday urged India to implement the 2002 Supreme Court order and close the Andaman Trunk Road in order to end “human safaris” in the Andaman Islands.
They signed a motion expressing concern over reports that tourists are taken in coaches to goggle at members of the Jarawa tribe who are treated like attractions in a “human safari park.”
The Observer recently released a video purporting to show that police and army officials were involved in “human safaris” despite official denials.
One clip showed semi-naked girls being “ordered” to dance for a police officer. An off-camera voice tells the girls to “move back a little, a little more.”
The motion, tabled by Liberal Democrat MP Mike Crockart, said: “That this House is concerned that tourists in India's Andaman Islands are treating the recently-contacted Jarawa tribe like an attraction in a human safari park; notes the ongoing media storm in India and worldwide caused by the video of Jarawa women being exploited; further notes that the abuse was carried out on the Andaman Trunk Road which was ordered to be closed by the Supreme Court of India in 2002; expresses concern that the Government of India is yet to act on the Supreme Court's ruling despite the current storm of protest; further notes the overwhelming evidence of harm caused by the continued and illegal use of the road; and calls on the Government of India to provide an alternative route and to take immediate action to close the Andaman Trunk Road in compliance with the law.”
Keywords: Jarawa tribe video, Andaman Islands, human safaris
Indian government should closed the truck road and follow the order of supreme court order 2002 . they are the indegious people of the India if governmet is not able to sustain them, then why they are harrasing to the indegenous people ?.actualy the police officer luring the indegineous people for bred and butter .Government should take a streakt action against the police office .The people has encroached the forest by doing human safari . If the peoples going their to do haman safari they should be live in their limit otherwise they are the emperior of the forest. seriously and genuinely government is not concern about sustaintion of theindegenouse people .
Its a shame on human being
I would empathise with Balagopal Menon. Britain has evolved from monarchy to democracy in its course and in parallel India has evolved from British Raj to democracy. The fundamental element in democracy is value of an individual is very significant irrespective of religion, birth, community, gender and other factors. I had been to Andaman and on the trunk road. It is used as tourism attraction where people in the tribes are shown as animals in jungle. Though they have more legal rights and protection over locals and citizens of India still they are antiques or pieces of entertainment to tourists.It is disgraceful on our part that a foreigner was given a chance to review on human rights situation. Kashmir, North east and numerous tribal issues are painted as domestic political situations. Hope >solutions are taken in greater order and consensually approached.
We have spoiled the very good Pearls like Godly gifted green Islands by allowing the Bangladesh people to settle during 1970s.We not only cleared the beautiful forests just to give land to these people but also chased away the Andaman & Nicobar aboriginals to dye,because the livelihood of these aboriginals was at stake.And the Member of Parliament of the Andaman & nicobar Islands never bothered about these son of the soil,because he was elected overwhelmingly by the support of these settlers and the aboriginals had no any political support what so ever in those days.And finally the Andaman administration spiked the final nail to these aboriginals by allowing the construction of Andaman Grand Trunk Road,just to please these settlers [read voters].And now we harvest the bitterness for the wrong decisions,of those days.
as mentioned by Mr Subramanyan - this is because how dare India refuse their Aircraft and buy from someone else ; they should not forget that
after the Pokhra test they refused to sell the spare parts for the
Jaguar aircraft - on top of that they even refused to let the aircraft
return which had gone there- these Britishers really need a kick on
their backsides, they just need to wake up and realize that their time
is past now - it's our time now.
A motion out of mole hill. This was an early day motion, in which UK MPs get to say not a lot on a host of various issues. For example, some MPs table motions regarding the success of a local soccer team. Most motions are not debated, as the first comment suggests. Out of 650 MPs, four of them signed the Andaman motion.
It is imperative to leave some of these tribes alone in the jungles to ensure their own preservation. Continuous contact with the rest of the world will only speeden up their destruction. One possibility is that they can contract infections that can be normally carried by us. And the tribe may not be able to cope up with that as easily as we do. The first two comments above unfortunately have missed precisely this point. And the argument that the UK having a colonial history is only emotional in nature as regards this specific issue, and has, regrettably, zero logic.
It is sad to see that people have come to accept human safaris as something normal or even as something positive. The tribal people people hardly benefit from it, if they benefit at all. Be it the tribal people in the forests of the North East or the Jawara tribe of the Andaman, we talk as if we're experts on matters such as their lifestyle and we're the ones who know what's best for them. They were doing just fine until we came along. It's a shame that other countries have to intervene and attempt to awaken us to such issues. When that happens, we don't waste a moment to question their ulterior motives >rather than remedy the situation back home.
Question: Why does it take 10yrs to follow a simple order (by the
Supreme Court) to close down a road?
Is it not the duty of India govt to help Jarawa people to be self sufficient? If they were comfortable and can earn money by selling honey and other forest produce, how can they be exploited by tourists? Not sure if any missionary is exploiting also. Every one seems to suggest to leave them in the forest to fend for themselves. UK with a long history of brutal killing during colonization, slave trade and other atrocities became the spokes person for Jarawas now. Is this concern genuine?
It is strange that a British MP is debating an issue in their house on
a matter pertaining to India. It cannot be ignored as a mere interest
in human rights. Is it a rection to our not accepting their bid for an
aircraft supply? If Britain does not stop this sintrusion into our
internal affairs, we had better initiate a debate on the first day of
our bduget sesssion on hwo Britain nfailed to ngiore the safety and
security fo idian shoopkeepers in the recent London riots and its
policy of restricting Indian immigration into Britain. Britain n
cannot ac t in nsuch narwowmidned fashion hurting Indian sentiments.
We are equally concerned with the treatment toJarawa tribes,. But we
do protest at this being used as a stick to ebat India with. I am
waitging frof the reaction of our spokeman from the MEA and of our FM>
Please Email the Editor