Andaman 10 – The Tribes Of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

In the Republic of India, the Bay Islands are
The most fascinating of the Union Territories,
An Archipelago of three hundred and nineteen islands,
Lapped and encircled by deep blue waters,
Luxuriant, tropical, ever green vegetation,
Lovely flowering trees and pretty coloured birds!

Astounding long white pebbled beaches.
And the sound of murmuring waves that
Alert you to its magnificent Ocean,
The Bay of Bengal!
Deeply embedded in the region of these dense forests,
Amidst nature’s wondrous beauty live the Tribes!

Tribes are a community of people with
Identical ways of living a simple, tribal life,
With specific socio-cultural, physical characteristics
Distinct customs and manners.
They have a common name, common language,
And a common right over Natural Resources!

The Anthropological survey of India lists 635 communities.
Their primary occupation has been hunting and gathering,
Though now, only eight communities pursue the old tradition.
The tribes are known as the Onges, the Shompens, the Palliyans,
The Cholanaickens, the Kurumbas and the Birhors! However,
The Sentinelese and the Jarawas or Angs are still pure hunters

The tribes are one with nature,
They know how to live in a forest without being harmed,
They know how to protect themselves from wild animals,
They know how to escape from floods and Tsunami,
They know nature better than any of us put together,
They know to live in harmony with all beings.

Untouched by human hand,
Undisturbed by the modern mind,
Unpolluted by the new age technology,
Undeterred by any cosmological revolution,
Unaffected by the hustle-bustle of this world,
The tribes live a happy, peaceful, contented life.