Kolkata
The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) has welcomed Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission in the Union Budget for the financial year 2023-24. But it pointed out that the development should be community specific and one size fits all approach may not work for the PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups), some of whom still live in isolation.
M. Sasikumar, joint director of AnSI, while describing the Budget provisions for PVTGs as a ‘great initiative’ said that the Union government should have to look for a PVTG specific approach.
The Budget announced ₹15,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission in the next three years under the development action plan for the Scheduled Tribes.
“There are 75 PVTGs in the country and for one tribe — Sentinelese — which live in isolation on North Sentinelese Island, the PVTG Development Mission may not work,” Dr. Sasikumar said. The members of the tribe have no contact with outside world and experts like Dr. Sasikumar call for a “hands off, eyes on” approach of the administration towards the Sentinelese. It may also be recalled that American national John Allen Chau was allegedly killed by the Sentinelese on the North Sentinel Island in November 2018 when he defied the ban and sneaked into the island.
The anthropologist pointed out that experts have come in contact with other tribes of the Andamans archipelago like the Jarwas, Shompes and Great Andamanese.“We have not started any housing for them but the provisions made in the Budget will give new directions in the area,” Dr. Sasikumar said.
The Budget document states that the mission “will saturate PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities”.
He explained that PVTGs are the most vulnerable among the tribal communities and many of the tribes have stagnant and in some cases declining populations. Dr. Sasikumar said while the population of Sentinelese may be around 50-100 , Onges around 112, Great Andamanese 60, Shompen around 250 and Jarwas about 380 individuals..
AnSI is the organisation that has conducted extensive research on PVTGs and in 2017 it came up with a detailed publication titled The Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of India — Privileges and Predicaments with details of all the 75 PVTGs.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs in response to a question in Parliament in December 2019 had pointed out that the population in PVTGs according to the 2011 census was about 1.70 crore. Odisha, which has the highest tribal population in the country is home to 13 PVTGs. There is also huge variation of population with some PVTGs only having a population in hundreds but some like Riang of Tripura and Irular of Tamil Nadu have a higher population of about 18 lakh as per 2011 census.
