Port Blair, Sept 09: The Congress unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands today strongly condemned the news item which appeared in www.guardian.co.in written by Gethin Chamberlain, regarding Human Safari in Andamans.
“Congress Party strongly condemns the news item which appeared in western media painting A & N Administration in a negative and misguided manner. In a spirit of democratic freedom and free press we have so far tolerated the vilification and maligning of these islands for the so called exploitation of aboriginal tribes, but we are now compelled to react because certain self serving institutions and individuals have refused to appreciate the truth as well as facts and chosen to continue to sensationalise for their own gains, of certain natural aspects of tribal life,” Kuldeep Rai Sharma, the President of Pradesh Congress Committee said in a press release today.
Mr. Sharma condemned the recently news of www.guardian.co.uk which says “Human Safari may be banned but still tourists flock in the Andaman Islands”.
“The article is highly biased and ignores many facts to suit the journalist’s personal and highly perverse view. The report has chosen to over look the fact that due to the policy of protection and preservation of the Jarawa population being implemented by the administration, their population has increased from 240 in 2001 to 406 (about 60 percent increase) in 2010 which is much higher than the general increase of population of the Islands,” he said.
He added that it has also overlooked that majority of the tourists visiting the Islands do not go to Lime Stone Cave or Andaman Trunk road.
Countering the news item Mr. Sharma further added that “running down a geological tourism spot in vested interest is not an objective tourism. Further, only 6 percent people passing through Andaman Trunk Road, are tourists, remaining being the local people, their relatives, friends and supplies from Port Blair to North and Middle Andaman and vice versa,” he added.
Sharma added that these Islands are strategically located and any attempt by the western media to sensationalise and disturb the peaceful coexistence will have security ramifications.
“We understand that serious action is being contemplated by the administration against those persons from the islands who are supporting such unscrupulous institutions. We also appeal to the public to not to get dismayed from such sensationalised propaganda of some vested interests who are trying to get the ATR closed to curtail the movement of people and supplies and to create hardships for over 1.5 lakh people settled in the area,” Mr. Sharma added.
