The Natives
July 8, 2007 6:53 AM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: pretty much done previously -- jessamyn
That a people like the Sentineli still exist in isolation in the 21st century is a wonder. But how long will this last ?
posted by y2karl at 7:11 AM on July 8, 2007
posted by y2karl at 7:11 AM on July 8, 2007
Survival, the Movement For Tribal People, is an excellent site with great videos, including one of the tribals in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
These tribals are in an interesting/scary quandary. The Stone Age interface with life 2.0.
On one of the pages you linked is the poignant plan, supposedly to come into effect on Independence, after the British Colonial grip on India ended in 1947:
"Indian Tribal Policy after Independence
2.1. The Philosophy of Indian Tribal Policy
The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was an enlightened Indian whose classic British education had deeply influenced his world view. It was his conviction that tribal integration into modern Indian society should be carried out based on democratic principles. His attitude towards Indian aboriginal people was marked on the one hand by paternalism and on the other by democratic and. socialist ideals respectively.
He summarised his thoughts on the aborigines in a five-point code of conduct:
1. People should develop on the lines of their own genius and should avoid imposing anything on them. We should encourage in any way their own traditional arts and culture.
2. Tribal rights in land and forest should be respected.
3. We should try to train and build up a team of their own people to do the work of administration and development. We should avoid introducing too many outsiders into tribal territory.
4. We should not over-administer these areas or overwhelm them with a multiplicity of schemes. We should rather work through and not in rivalry to, their own social and cultural institutions.
5. We should judge results, not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the quality of human character that is involved.
While Nehru's philosophy became the much-quoted ethical guideline for government policy towards the aborigines, it remained for the most part in gross contrast to reality, to the factual agricultural and economic developments in affected regions and to state economic interests in "tribal territories".
posted by nickyskye at 7:25 AM on July 8, 2007
These tribals are in an interesting/scary quandary. The Stone Age interface with life 2.0.
On one of the pages you linked is the poignant plan, supposedly to come into effect on Independence, after the British Colonial grip on India ended in 1947:
"Indian Tribal Policy after Independence
2.1. The Philosophy of Indian Tribal Policy
The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was an enlightened Indian whose classic British education had deeply influenced his world view. It was his conviction that tribal integration into modern Indian society should be carried out based on democratic principles. His attitude towards Indian aboriginal people was marked on the one hand by paternalism and on the other by democratic and. socialist ideals respectively.
He summarised his thoughts on the aborigines in a five-point code of conduct:
1. People should develop on the lines of their own genius and should avoid imposing anything on them. We should encourage in any way their own traditional arts and culture.
2. Tribal rights in land and forest should be respected.
3. We should try to train and build up a team of their own people to do the work of administration and development. We should avoid introducing too many outsiders into tribal territory.
4. We should not over-administer these areas or overwhelm them with a multiplicity of schemes. We should rather work through and not in rivalry to, their own social and cultural institutions.
5. We should judge results, not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the quality of human character that is involved.
While Nehru's philosophy became the much-quoted ethical guideline for government policy towards the aborigines, it remained for the most part in gross contrast to reality, to the factual agricultural and economic developments in affected regions and to state economic interests in "tribal territories".
posted by nickyskye at 7:25 AM on July 8, 2007
Excellent post, hadjiboy!
But I have a question:
Even though Great Nicobar was severely affected by the 2004 tsunami, it does not seem to have had any permanent impact on the number of people who wish to live there; the population today has grown considerably from that in 2001.
Why do people from the mainstream of Indian society want to live in an isolated backwater?
posted by jason's_planet at 8:46 AM on July 8, 2007
But I have a question:
Even though Great Nicobar was severely affected by the 2004 tsunami, it does not seem to have had any permanent impact on the number of people who wish to live there; the population today has grown considerably from that in 2001.
Why do people from the mainstream of Indian society want to live in an isolated backwater?
posted by jason's_planet at 8:46 AM on July 8, 2007
Why do people from the mainstream of Indian society want to live in an isolated backwater?
Apart from the beauty of the place, its high literacy rate: Timber biz, tourism, fishing, handicrafts, military bases.
"best beaches here. There is no pollution. The people are nice. Crime rate is low. Ideally suited for tourism."
General economic info.
India's Gross State Domestic Product info. The Andamans and Nicobars are low on the list but still, seems like a nice place to live.
A good article in the Asia Times today on the Andamans and Nicobars.
posted by nickyskye at 9:48 AM on July 8, 2007
Apart from the beauty of the place, its high literacy rate: Timber biz, tourism, fishing, handicrafts, military bases.
"best beaches here. There is no pollution. The people are nice. Crime rate is low. Ideally suited for tourism."
General economic info.
India's Gross State Domestic Product info. The Andamans and Nicobars are low on the list but still, seems like a nice place to live.
A good article in the Asia Times today on the Andamans and Nicobars.
posted by nickyskye at 9:48 AM on July 8, 2007
That a people like the Sentineli still exist in isolation in the 21st century is a wonder. But how long will this last ?
Until some do-gooder sends them a Wii or an iPhone.
Not exactly sure about that.
posted by QuestionableSwami at 9:49 AM on July 8, 2007
Nice post. It's interesting that A) they're still suffering from the 18th-century cannibalism myth and B) there was actually a basis for it (ceremonially burned the bodies of outsiders, wore bones as trophies). One of the primary vectors of that myth.
posted by ormondsacker at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2007
posted by ormondsacker at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2007
Sea Gypsies Saw Signs In The Waves: How Moken People In Asia Saved Themselves From Deadly Tsunami
posted by homunculus at 10:29 AM on July 8, 2007
posted by homunculus at 10:29 AM on July 8, 2007
"best beaches here. There is no pollution. The people are nice. Crime rate is low. Ideally suited for tourism."
Pop quiz: of these five things, which one will swiftly put an end to the other four?
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:44 AM on July 8, 2007
Pop quiz: of these five things, which one will swiftly put an end to the other four?
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:44 AM on July 8, 2007
Wasn't there a post about this just the other month? Was it deleted or something? Or am I going crazy?
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:50 PM on July 8, 2007
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:50 PM on July 8, 2007
Wasn't there a post about this just the other month?
Well, there was this, from 2005, but there was something much more recent: I remember it too. Can't find it, though.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:08 PM on July 8, 2007
Well, there was this, from 2005, but there was something much more recent: I remember it too. Can't find it, though.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:08 PM on July 8, 2007
D'oh! Burhanistan already pointed that out.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:09 PM on July 8, 2007
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:09 PM on July 8, 2007
hadjiboy? You're the usual source of India posts here...was a previous post on the A&N Islands deleted?
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:39 PM on July 8, 2007
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:39 PM on July 8, 2007
How on earth did you find that?
I've got the greasemonkey script at home that shows deleted posts, but I'm pretty sure they're not searchable...?
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:09 PM on July 8, 2007
I've got the greasemonkey script at home that shows deleted posts, but I'm pretty sure they're not searchable...?
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:09 PM on July 8, 2007
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posted by stbalbach at 7:08 AM on July 8, 2007