New law passed to protect Andaman tribes from exploiters

The government on Thursday approved the promulgation of a legislation to protect the Jarawa tribe from outside influences.

The new legislation brings into effect a buffer zone around the Jarawa tribal settlements in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the decision to promulgate the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal tribes) Amendment Regulation 2012 was taken under Article 240 of the Constitution

"This regulation will cover the entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tourist establishments would be prohibited and other commercial establishments would be regulated in the buffer zone, which would protect the aboriginal tribes from undesirable outside influences," a PTI report quoted Soni saying.

According to the report, the law incorporates stringent penal provisions to deter unauthorised entries, photography, videography, hunting, use of alcohol, or even putting up advertisements to attract tourists in the buffer zone.

Offenders can be imprisoned from 3 to 7 years and fined upto Rs 10,000.

Although the buffer zone was initiated in 2007 through a notification, it was quashed by the Calcutta High Court on grounds that the principal regulation only permits notification for 'reserved area' and has no provisions for declaring an area as buffer zone.

The Government had moved a Special Leave Petition against it in the Supreme Court and the matter is yet to be decided.

The Jarawa tribe was recently in news over allegations that its members were being exploited for tourism after appearance of two videos of Jarawa tribal women in the electronic media earlier this year.

A footage released by two leading British newspapers showed semi-nude women of Jarawa tribe being made to dance for tourists. The video also shows people throwing food and money at the tribals.

The practise of 'human safaris' was first exposed by Survival International in 2010.

Officials now face domestic and international pressure to stop the exploitation of Jarawa tribals.