...to the islands...The Indian government is fond of eulogising its efforts to bring `civilisation' to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but it continues to destructively mismanage the tribal people and the unique ecology of the islands. The major issues which need to be addressed are the rights and privacy of the indigenous tribes, and the development of controlled timber farming to halt forest clearing.
The Indian government regards the indigenous tribes as backward, and its attitude towards them is condescending. In an effort to develop the islands economically, the government has disregarded the needs and land rights of the tribes and has encouraged massive transmigration from the mainland - mainly of Tamils expelled from Sri Lanka. The population has increased from 50,000 to over 300,000 in just 20 years, and the indigenous island cultures are being swamped. During this period, vast tracts of forest have been felled. There has been some replanting with `economic' timber like teak, but much of the land has been turned into rubber plantations.
Tourism may have a positive role to play in all this. There are over 250 uninhabited islands in this area, most with superb beaches and coral reefs ideal for divers. Looking to the Maldives for inspiration, where a few uninhabited islands have been developed exclusively for tourists, the Indian government is considering following a similar path. This could compensate for the earnings lost from reduced tree-cutting and would place a value-tag on the preservation of the environment.
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