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South Bay (Deserted After Occurrence of Tsunami)

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South Bay (Deserted After Occurrence of Tsunami) ONGE Dugong Creek, A Tribal reserved 731.60 sq km Bengali settlement areas up to 22 km from Hut Bay PHC , & Hut Bay, Main hub Area Hut Bay, wharf, a deep water wharf Harmendar, a Nicobarese Village South Bay (Deserted after occurrence of Tsunami) Little Andaman Little Andaman (LA) Island once was exclusively the abode of the OG until early 1960s OG tribe, settled at Dugong Creek (DC) & South Bay, LA in 1978 Post-Tsunami situation relocated them a little away from DC The geographical isolation of Dugong and South Bay offers a secure resemblance of nomadic pursuits, and the tropical rain forest, ecology, creeks, rivulets, sea etc are conducive to sustain foraging activities throughout the year. Age-wise population Age Male Female Total Sex group) (in years) N % N % N % Ratio 0-10 25 53.19 22 46.81 47 100 880 11-20 11 57.89 08 42.11 19 100 727 21-30 07 53.85 06 46.15 13 100 857 31-40 03 30 07 70 10 100 2333 41-50 03 42.85 04 57.15 07 100 1333 51+ 04 36.36 07 63.64 11 100 1750 53 49.53 54 50.47 107 100 1019 *AAJVS *Till June 2012 Socio-Economic condition of the Onge As semi-nomad forager, hunting & fishing were their fortes, fond of dugong that they hunt on full moon night Being animists, belief on ancestral assistance in various foraging activities Observed adolescent ritual for a month long usually followed by smearing their bodies & hunting as well Body painting with red ochre & white clay common Dead is buried under the large bedstead in the hut, which is then deserted Monogamy stringently adhered to as marriage rules, re-marriage of widow or widower allowable Pre-tsunami situation, Dugong Creek Onge settlement deserted Post-tsunami situation, Dugong Creek Intrinsic designs, which are usually painted by womenfolk on their loving spouses & on themselves too. Onge brusquely rejected the well-designed hut models that were introduced, which AAJVS/APWD built for them; soon dismantled The Onge built & thatched their traditional dome- shaped huts using indigenous technology They prefer to live in such traditional huts rather than in the concrete huts raised on permanent stilts, which were constructed for them. •Different welfare schemes has been formulated and implemented for the welfare of the Onge tribe. Infrastructure such as jetty, helipad, water supply, power supply, Medical Sub-Centre & School provided in their habitat Welfare dependent community, however, few engaged in coconut plantation, poultry, fishery •Premium paid for 32 Onge individuals (benefited, Rs.100/- per individual) under the premium Janashree Bima Yojna, since 2007, GOI •7 employed in Govt. service at DC •38 OG children studying in Middle School, DC •Basic facilities such traditional huts, medical sub-centre, powerhouse & electricity supply, drinking water supply, footpaths etc have extended to tribesmen in their new habitat post-tsunami situation, which about 7-8 km from Dugong Creek. To make them self reliant, coconut plantations in an area of 65 acres have raised for the tribal people. They collect coconuts make copra and sell it through their own Society viz., Onge Multi-Purpose Co- operative Society (OMPCS) Limited to another apex level society M/S ANCOFED Ltd, which supplies essential commodities to them from natural springs of sweet water. Unlike the dead past, now they depend on the ring wells that have been provided to them within the settlement areas. Year-wise enrollment Govt. Primary School established in 1978, Upgraded to Middle school in 2011, all school records washed away during the occurrence of Tsunami in 2004 Std 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 B G B G B G B G B G B G B G I 4 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 4 1 2 4 - 2 II 5 - 4 1 4 1 4 - 6 1 4 1 2 4 III 5 3 5 3 5 2 4 2 4 - 6 1 4 1 IV 7 6 5 6 4 4 4 4 2 2 4 - 6 1 V - - - - 1 2 2 - 4 4 8 2 4 - VI - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 6 Total 21 10 20 11 20 10 20 7 20 8 22 8 24 14 B&G 31 31 30 27 28 30 38 Educational levels Anganwadi (Crèche) Dugong Creek Middle School, Dugong Creek Two (Outsiders) Primary School Teacher (PST) posted S.No. Class Boys Girls Total 1 I Nil Nil Nil 2 II 4 2 6 3 III 1 4 5 4 IV 1 6 7 5 V Nil 4 4 6 VI 6 8 14 Total 12 24 36 Occupational pattern S. Name Sex Designation/p Employing N. ost authority 1 Babai F Helper *DE, 2 Rakesh M Helper *DE, 3 Totanagae M Helper #SC, AAJVS, 4 Sheela F Anganwadi +DSW, Worker 5 Kakae M Anganwadi +DS, Worker 6 Mohan M Helper Pump House, Lall ^MID, APWD, The Onge still continue to affiliate themselves with members of the communal hut-based groups attributable to certain social obligation for the perpetuation of the groups and their rituals. South Bay, the southward area of LAI was the second campsite of the Onge till December 26, 2004. It is very unfortunate that they were shifted to Dugong Creek different extreme pockets of Little Andaman Island at Dugong Creek. Efforts could have been made to restore South Bay; because this particular band firmly affiliate themselves with the habitat, moreover the communal hut-based, environment, and resources of their campsite. Together with the Onge individuals residing at the major campsite in Dugong Creek, they have been fallen within the ambit of welfare measures of the A&NA in general and AAJVS; of course is appreciable with conflicting altruism objectives. Bracketed as semi-nomads, thus palpably made welfare dependent people on doles have considerably influenced their foraging skills. •Ironically, they have not been able to integrate with the menacing populations of Bengali settlers, repatriates from Sri Lanka, Nicobarese and other heterogeneous communities on equal footings. •Currently, the ascending generations of the Onge are experiencing modern living conditions that are conducive to sedentary lifestyles. •Altruistic welfare measures (Doles) seem to be justified; but ultimately made them welfare dependent people. Such induced welfare measures of extending doles made them experienced Apollonian culture, which earned them ‘middle-of-the-road-behaviour’ neither revert to nomad nor assimilate to a settled agricultural economy. They appease their deity- Tomayu “Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom of darkness, let there be light.” Strait Island, 6.02 sq. km TANMAD 847sq km THIDONG Tribal Reserved Forest 1028 sq km enhanced in 2004 in south & middle Andaman BOIAB Hut Great Andamanese (GA) GREAT ANDAMANESE (GA) One of the largest tribes that colonialism severely impacted, perhaps more than ethnocide To nurture & protect them, the entire pop. of the GA were rehabilitated in Strait Island (1969), a Tribal Reserve (TR) Welfare dependent community Rarely pursue their traditional activities of hunting, fishing etc, however, few are engaged in maintenance of coconut Plantation, poultry, fishery & hunting Animism in vogue, “Biligu” name of their deities Dead child buried under floor of parental hut Demography Table shows the drastic decline of Great Andamanese population since 1800. 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 Year 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 Age-wise population Age group Male Female Total Sex (in year) N % N % N % Ratio 0-10 09 50 09 50 18 100 1000 11-20 10 66.67 05 33.33 15 100 500 21-30 03 33.33 06 66.67 09 100 2000 31-40 05 62.50 03 37.50 08 100 600 41-50 02 50 02 50 04 100 1000 51+ 01 33.33 02 66.67 03 100 2000 30 52.63 27 47.37 57 100 900 Source: Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS) Territorially, there were 10 major groups with separate languages Jero language is in vogue, present day lingua franca- Common to all of them Onge Ang (Jarawa) Sentinelese Jingil South Great Andamanese Aka-Bea Akar-Bele A-Pucikwar Akakol Oko-Juwoi Akakede Northern Great Andamanese Aka-Jeru Aka-Bo Aka-Kora Aka-Cari The Great Andamanese are a stark example of how ‘progress’ can destroy a population. When the British first arrived there were more than 6000; today only 55 survive. 99% of the tribesmen have been wiped out. Like the Aetas of Malaysia, the Semang of Philippines and other mobile foragers such as Enawene Nawe (Brazil), Innu (Canada), Gurani-Kaiowā (Brazil), Panará (Brazil), Parakanā (Brazil) and Urihi etc. the Great Andamanese are on the verge of extinction. The Enawene Nawe has a very different story. Their numbers have increased from 97 to more than 400 80% of the tribes were wiped out in just 8 years. The 350-400 Panará were contacted when a road was bulldozed through their land. Their population plummeted. 186 Panará died in the first epidemics. Soon there Innu were just 69 left. 1974 was a momentous year for the Panará & Ang, when contact with the Panará outside world was established. Enawene Nawe Nanti people from Peru Bushmen hottentot Yanomami GA were expert canoe makers, cane baskets, honey containers, wooden buckets of aesthetic value Shield shaped hollowed wooden musical instrument Fond of pork (wild boar), dugong, turtle, turtle egg, fish, mollusc-snail, clam & hard shell fish etc, crab, wild fruits, tuber Hunting & honey collection were their forte Originally, climbing or plucking coconut was not their forte Traditionally, their communal hut were thatched with roof, family sleeping platforms & fire place GA joyfully smeared their faces & bodies with white & red ochre compounded with the gaieties of various calendrical festivals Levels of Education S.No.
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