A total of 19 members of the Jarawa tribe were enrolled in the electoral roll after they submitted Form 6 to the Booth Level Officer. The enrolment process was done by being respectful of the Jarawa people’s traditions and privacy.
The Jarawas are an indigenous tribe which lives in the Andaman Islands. (Photo credit: Unsplash)
New Delhi: The Jarawa tribe of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in a historic move, has been reportedly inducted into the Indian electoral process with their enrolment in the electoral roll. It is the first time that the members of the Jarawa tribe will take part in the electoral process of the country.
A total of 19 members of the Jarawa tribe were enrolled in the electoral roll after they submitted Form 6 to the Booth Level Officer. The enrolment process was done by being respectful of the Jarawa people’s traditions and privacy and the move shows the efforts of the Indian government to induct the indigenous tribes to the democratic process while protecting their culture and heritage.
Who are the Jarawas?
The Jarawas are an indigenous tribe which lives in the Andaman Islands. They inhabit parts of the Middle Andaman and South Andaman Islands. At present, their number ranges between 250 to 400 individuals. They rarely interact with outsiders and their society, culture and traditions are yet to be understood fully. Since the 1990s, their contacts with outsiders have increased. Some Jarawas had become regular visitors at settlements by the 2000s, where they traded and interacted with tourists, got medical aid, and even sent their children to school.
For how long have they lived in the islands?
It is believed that the Jarawas have descended from the Jangil tribe and as per estimates, they have lived in Andaman Island for more than two millennia. It must be noted that they are different from the Greater Andamanese. The Jarawas have traditionally been hunter-forager-fishermen, and are known as warriors who fiercely defend their territory. After the British established a colonial presence in the Andaman Islands in 1789, the population of Jarawas declined massively.
However, the Jarawas survived the British colonial presence and World War II. Over the years, the contact between the Jarawas and the outsiders increased and since 1997, they have initiated contacts with settled populations. Meetings with outsiders, especially with tourists, remained very risky due to disease. But Jarawas have learnt more about the settled population and they have become about their own special status as protected people. Today, they have maintained contact with the outside world frequently.
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