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Source-This post on Shompen Tribe has been created based on the article “Great Nicobar: Indian president visits island as fears grow for tribe” published in “BBC NEWS” on 21 February 2024.
Why in the news?
India’s president recently visited an island earmarked for multi-billion-dollar development. As per some experts, the project could wipe out the indigenous Shompen tribe.
About Shompen Tribes
| Aspects | Details |
| Description | The Shompen or Shom Pen are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island. They are a designated as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group within the list of Scheduled Tribe. |
| Characteristics | 1) Nature-They are one of the most isolated tribes on Earth. Most of them are uncontacted, refusing all interactions with outsiders. 2) Livelihood-They are semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, and their main sources of livelihood are hunting, gathering, fishing, and a little bit of horticultural activities in a rudimentary form. 3) Food-They collect a wide variety of forest plants, but their staple food is the pandanus fruit, which they call larop. |
| Population | According to the Census (2011), the estimated population of Shompen is 229. |
| Language | They speak their own language, which has many dialects. Members of one band do not understand the dialect of the other. |
| Social structure | 1) They have nuclear families comprising husband, wife, and their unmarried children. 2) The family is controlled by the eldest male member, who controls all activities of the women and kids. 3) Monogamy is the general rule, although polygamy is allowed too. |
Some other important tribes of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
| Tribes | Location |
| Andamanese | Strait island |
| Jarawas | Middle and south Andaman |
| Nicobarese | Great Nicobar |
| Onges | Little Nicobar |
| Sentinelese | Sentinel island |
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