Life in a travel bag

Well, one of the most rewarding aspect of marriage is indisputably the honeymoon. For me, a week replete with laziness to the core spelt HEAVEN. A week-long trip to the Andamans was definitely the closest you can get to charging your nearly died up batteries.

Andaman and Nicobar islands are by far the most beautiful and maybe thankfully the most under-rated picturesque locales in India. Some of the best moments were those spent in peace with the surroundings, walking under tropical canopy while hearing the dry leaves crackle under my feet, the sun setting on the golden horizon, the furore of waves rebelling against the ferry, the primitive Jarawas still at peace with their bodies and wearing just nearly nothing while carrying bows and arrows - just like Homo Sapiens did some 10,000 years back, lazing under the shade of trees sipping the freshest coconut water while reading a beautiful book and yes, the wonderful wonderful view from down under. The bright red, blue, gold and yellow flashes (which the eye recognises a moment later as salt water fishes) surrounding you while you are in absolute awe of the colourful corals beneath your feet. And yes, since it was the honeymoon, the moments when someone special just looked at you and mimed three words which i knew he meant to the core of his heart.....

Andaman was as natural as natural could be, at least for a primitive traveller like me.

I came across spectacular limestone caves in a highly earthquake prone zone. Nature in its true form , as i learnt can never cease to surprise me. And if that wasn't enough, witnessing a live mud volcano, oozing out of its centre the dangerous mix of ash, mud and inflammable gases by the dozen. By the way, i confess i didn't know that there were mud volcanoes before that date... Ah, ignorant me.... the real me.

However, amongst all this there was something not really pleasant to the mind. With all the splendour and enthalling beauty, the other side of the coin, the beast, is also slowing coming to senses in this heaven. With its arms engulfing the region ,the peace of the Islands is slowly but steadily the stake in this battle for survival.

Anthropologically, the habitation in total of 321 Andaman and Nicobar Islands is divided into two types. One, the original inhabitants of the islands - the tribes. Six in total they comprise the Great Andamanese of Strait Island, Onges of Little Andaman, Jarawas of South and Middle Andaman, Sentinelese of Sentinel Islands, and Shompens of Great Nicobar. The second, is the migrated population shifted to the Island. These comprise mostly of Keral, Bengali,Bihari, Tamil workers and their families who were given land, money and jobs so that a strategically important part of Indian Union be populated.

Coming to the original inhabitants of the island, while some tribes have opened up to the modern world, others still view 'us' with hostility so severe that you might have to risk with your life in the adventure of seeing them.

Case in point, being the recently turned friendly, Jarawas do not have canoes but use rafts to cross the streams. Administration stretched their hands to this tribe in 1974 and befriended them with gifts of bananas, coconuts and other fruits. They were hostile till 1998 but now they are coming out of their habitats to mix with the local people. Isolated from the civilized world, it is still a mystery that how did the Jarawas with their African gene pool land in India in the first place.

However, what surprised me is that development most of the times is a selfish attempt to appease a few, only resulting in neglecting the greater good. The Jarawas, being the original inhabitants of the Baratang region of Andaman are not aware that their silent haven is soon becoming a victim to political ambitions. A Grand trunk road has divided their sanctuary into two, cutting across the resources, esp water. While they are increasing getting allured to chips, chocolates and the works, they are still not aware that in a modern world nothing is free... not even water. While on the other hand, the 20 year old inhabitants are busy forming lobbies... the Tamils shouting for greater representation and greater land resources.... this must come at the cost of someone..... in this case the Jarawas.

While on the way, we spotted three Jarawa youths waiting in a police station for a pick-up van to take them to the Government hospital in Port Blair. The behaviour of the policeman though was suspicious of sexual favours.... It was a further shock to me when i learnt that from the past 10-15 years when the have started seeking medical help, examinations have revealed that they have had to shed with some of their natural immunity.... something i fear, they are not aware of till date.

Sad that 20 years from now, the lure of modern riches may tempt the modern generation... but will they be able to survive in this new universe is hardly difficult to imagine.