"A MAN SETS ABLAZE AN ABORIGINAL TRIBAL WOMAN"
Aspect
(REPRO)

Port Blair, July, 2


IN an incident that took place on Saturday at Port Blair, an woman of Great Andamnese tribal community was set ablaze after pouring petrol by a local man named Dayanand, S/O. Bharat, who is a group "C" employee in APWD. This incident took place at the "Basera" Nivas , which is the stay home for Great Andamanese tribal people here.
The woman named Nu, W/o. Pege has sustained 60% burn all over the body and is admitted in the G.B. Pant Hospital;.
The police has arrested the culprit behind the incident.
A vigilant citizen, who saw the tribal lady at the hospital, as questioned whether the Administration is really serious in extending security & care t the aboriginal tribal people here. The said incident has exposed the level of care , the Administration is giving towards the poor aboriginal tribal people, particularly women of the community.
This incident and the past incidents involving tribal people have defeated the tall claim of Admnistration that tribal are in the safe hands of AAJVS. If the factor safety was something really existing, how, could a person enter into the "Basera" home and pour petrol and set ablaze the poor women.
It is a matter of shame that the facilities and monetary assistance which are sanctioned by GOI and which are supposed to be distributed among these tribal people are being looted away by the Administration authorities. And these poor tribe people are not even provide even the basic need of security and care.

Samir Acharya adds,


The tragic incident that took place in Adi Basera on Saturday last once again calls our attention to the following:
a) That the Administration is not too concerned about visits of non-tribals to the members of PTGs, unless the visitor happens to be a journalist.
b) Adi Basera was a Guest House for PTGs since long. It was declared a protected tribal reserve only after a lady correspondent of NDTV interviewed Lichu and Nu at Adi Basera and NDTVs broadcast of the damaging interview.
C) Adi Basera is guarded throughout the day but not at night, presumably because the journalists do not normally try to interact with PTGs at night.
d) There was no guard at Adi Basera that night, although Nu's son was sleeping in another room. The main building was under repair and as such other tribals were not present. Reportedly the miscreant regularly visited Nu in Adi Basera at night.


Even for the Jarawas the Administration's Efforts stop with religiously publishing to cease and desist from taking tourists into the tribal reserves and allowing interactions


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Society for Andaman & Nicobar Ecology
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A & N Islands

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