Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Dec 22: The Convoy system through the Andaman Trunk Road was introduced to safeguard Jarawa Tribes from outside world. Earlier there were eight Convoys per day from both Jirkatang and Middle Strait sides but later the number of convoys were reduced to four.
Now because of COVID19 the number of convoys from both sides have been further reduced to only two, causing enormous problems to the people of Andamans.
Worst sufferers are those who need to cross the Jarawa Tribal Reserve to reach the other side to perform last-rites of their family members in case of any death.
The present system is so confusing that even in emergency cases like death, mourning family members are allowed to cross Jarawa Tribal Reserve area of ATR only on the next day if they miss the last convoy.
People who have influence and can get a permission from Secretary of Director of Tribal Welfare are allowed to cross ATR in some conditions but most of the people, are not influential and can’t contact the Secretary of Director level officers for permission.
Presently in any such cases, people are forced to make hundreds of calls to somehow get a permission from Tribal Welfare department to cross the Jarawa Tribal Reserve stretch of ATR in late evening of early morning hours. Another way is to request some high profile political leaders to get such permissions done.
Sadly during the time of grief, general public are forced to indulge in unwanted public relations works.
The Staffs of police department and crew members vehicle ferries at Middle Strait and Humphery Strait, in such cases, show tremendous sympathy in cases of death and are ready to help family members of deceased but they also need permission from Tribal Department. But not everyone is influential and not everyone can have friends in high places, hence in most of the cases people have to wait for nearly 24 hours to perform last rites of their loved one, if they miss the last convoy.
Hence people of these Islands are now demanding for some Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for getting especial permission to cross Jarawa Tribal Reserve stretch of ATR, in case of death. There should be clear cut guidelines and also a help-desk to guide public who are in urgent need to reach the other side of Jarawa Tribal Reserve for performing last rites of their family members. If such SOP and guidelines are issued and a help desk is established then people will know where to call and how to get a special permission. There won’t be any need to request politicians and contact people in high places to get a permission to cross Jarawa Tribal Reserve by road.
