‘Any exploitation of Sentinel Island will wipe out tribals’

Source: The Hindu

News: Anthropological Survey of India(AnSI) has said that any exploitation of the North Sentinel Island of the Andamans for commercial and strategic gain would spell the death knell for its occupants, the Sentinelese, a most secluded, particularly vulnerable tribal group(PVTG).

Facts:

• Sentinelese also known as the Sentineli are a negrito tribe who live on the North Sentinel Island of the Andaman.
• Occupation: Sentinelese are hunter-gatherers, likely using bows and arrows to hunt and more rudimentary methods to catch local seafood.
• Language: It is known that the Sentinelese speak their own language, the Sentinelese language.
• Population: Currently,their numbers are believed to be less than 150 and as low as 40.
• How are they protected? The Govt. of India has issued the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 to declare the traditional areas occupied by the tribes as reserves and prohibited entry of all persons except those with authorisation.

Additional Facts:

• Anthropological Survey of India(AnSI): It was founded in 1945 as the apex Indian government organisation involved in anthropological studies and field data research for human and cultural aspects.It is operating under the Ministry of Culture and is headquartered in Kolkata.
• Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar: The Andaman Islands are home to four ‘Negrito’ tribes namely the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese.Nicobar Islands are home to two ‘Mongoloid’ tribes – the Shompen and Nicobarese.