Colonization and Rehabilitations in COLONIZATION AND REHABILITATIONS IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS Andaman and Nicobar Islands SWAPAN K. BISWAS ABHIJEET PUBLICATIONS DELHI 110094 ABHIJEET PUBLICATIONS 2/46 Tukhmeerpur Extension Delhi 110094 Phones: 011-22960492, 65698474 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all I express my sincerest thanks to the Director, Indian Council of Social Science Research [Ministry of H.R. D.] Eastern Regional Centre Kolkatta, who has assigned me the important Project Work. I would like to thank Dr. COLONIZATION AND REHABILITATIONS IN ANDAMAN AND Parth Chatterjee, fellow Professor of ICSSR, Eastern Regional NICOBAR ISLANDS Centre, Kolkatta, for his constant guidance and encouragement. I also express my thanks to my Principal, H.O.D., Political Science, Librarian, and staff of J.N.R.M. My thanks are also due to Mr. Husan Ali, Archivist, and staff of Secretariat Record room, my elder brothers for their First Published 2009 kind suggestion and advice and moral support in my works. © Author I also thank Mr. Sanat Chakroborty, Murugesan, Dalip ISBN 978-93-80031-07-1 Kishan, Rahul, K. Nagulu, who sincerely helped me in my work. Special thanks to Ibrahim who typed my project and tables. My thanks are due to Mr. Pritan Roy, Mr. N.C. Roy, Mr. Bimal Roy, Mr. Paritosh Halder, Mr. Ananta Biswas, Mr. A. De, Mr. Swapan Paik, Mr. Sunil Halder, Mr. Sushil [All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or used in any Mondal, Miss Swapna Bala, Mr. Anjan Sengupta, Mr. Jagdish form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Narayan, and Mr. Sukumar Das. recording or otherwise, without the prior permission from the author I would be failing in my duty if I don’t thank my wife or publisher, except for a brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.] Mrs. Hema Biswas, Head, Department of Economics, JNRM, Port Blair, who had constantly inspired me to finish my work. Dr. S. K. Biswas Senior Faculty PRINTED IN INDIA P.G. Dept. of Political Science. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajakeeya Mahavidyalaya Published by J.K. Singh for Abhijeet Publications, Delhi 110094, Port Blair, Andaman. Lasertypeset by Gaurav Graphics, Delhi and Printed as Himanshu Printers, Delhi. ABHIJEET PUBLICATIONS 2/46 Tukhmeerpur Extension Delhi 110094 Phones: 011-22960492, 65698474 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all I express my sincerest thanks to the Director, Indian Council of Social Science Research [Ministry of H.R. D.] Eastern Regional Centre Kolkatta, who has assigned me the important Project Work. I would like to thank Dr. COLONIZATION AND REHABILITATIONS IN ANDAMAN AND Parth Chatterjee, fellow Professor of ICSSR, Eastern Regional NICOBAR ISLANDS Centre, Kolkatta, for his constant guidance and encouragement. I also express my thanks to my Principal, H.O.D., Political Science, Librarian, and staff of J.N.R.M. My thanks are also due to Mr. Husan Ali, Archivist, and staff of Secretariat Record room, my elder brothers for their First Published 2009 kind suggestion and advice and moral support in my works. © Author I also thank Mr. Sanat Chakroborty, Murugesan, Dalip ISBN 978-93-80031-07-1 Kishan, Rahul, K. Nagulu, who sincerely helped me in my work. Special thanks to Ibrahim who typed my project and tables. My thanks are due to Mr. Pritan Roy, Mr. N.C. Roy, Mr. Bimal Roy, Mr. Paritosh Halder, Mr. Ananta Biswas, Mr. A. De, Mr. Swapan Paik, Mr. Sunil Halder, Mr. Sushil [All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or used in any Mondal, Miss Swapna Bala, Mr. Anjan Sengupta, Mr. Jagdish form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Narayan, and Mr. Sukumar Das. recording or otherwise, without the prior permission from the author I would be failing in my duty if I don’t thank my wife or publisher, except for a brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.] Mrs. Hema Biswas, Head, Department of Economics, JNRM, Port Blair, who had constantly inspired me to finish my work. Dr. S. K. Biswas Senior Faculty PRINTED IN INDIA P.G. Dept. of Political Science. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajakeeya Mahavidyalaya Published by J.K. Singh for Abhijeet Publications, Delhi 110094, Port Blair, Andaman. Lasertypeset by Gaurav Graphics, Delhi and Printed as Himanshu Printers, Delhi. Swapan Kumar Biswas, studied in Kolkata. He obtained M.A. and Ph.D. degree from Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. Presently he is teaching P.G. Department of Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya, Port Blair since 1993. His area of research field is Tribals of Andaman and Nicobar CONTENTS Islands, Island's Local Self Government and settlers of Andamans. He has to his credit many research articles: City Politics of Port Acknowledgements v Blair, Parliamentary Elections of UTs, 1. Introduction 1 Situational Analysis of Bengali in 2. Objectives of the Study and Survey Methodology 16 Andaman, News PRI's, Political Administration of Nicobari Tribes 3. Possibility of Resettlement of Refugees— 38 etc., in reputed national journals. Survey Team Reports Attended an international seminar on 4. Settlement of Bengali Refugees from East Pakistan 77 LSG, “revisited to Kerala”, in (1949-1976) December 2007, at Trivendrum, 5. Scheme for Rehabilitation of Settlers 94 presently engaged with project work under ICSSR (Ministry of HRD) on 6. Community Development Schemes 104 Bengali Settlers in Andaman: A 7. Social Status of Bengali Settlers 116 Changing Account. Attended 8. Developmental Aspects and Bengali Community 126 National Seminar-cum-workshop in April 2008, “Sustainable City: 9. Present Social System Among Bengali Settlers 142 Problems and Challenges” in Port 10. Political Development in the Islands 159 Blair, organised by AIILSG, Mumbai. 11. Economic Activities 198 12. Cultural Activities 210 13. Observations 216 14. Suggestions 227 Bibiliography 231 Index 238 23 cm Cloth 2009 Rs. 650 ISBN 978-93-80031-07-1 Swapan Kumar Biswas, studied in Kolkata. He obtained M.A. and Ph.D. degree from Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. Presently he is teaching P.G. Department of Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya, Port Blair since 1993. His area of research field is Tribals of Andaman and Nicobar CONTENTS Islands, Island's Local Self Government and settlers of Andamans. He has to his credit many research articles: City Politics of Port Acknowledgements v Blair, Parliamentary Elections of UTs, 1. Introduction 1 Situational Analysis of Bengali in 2. Objectives of the Study and Survey Methodology 16 Andaman, News PRI's, Political Administration of Nicobari Tribes 3. Possibility of Resettlement of Refugees— 38 etc., in reputed national journals. Survey Team Reports Attended an international seminar on 4. Settlement of Bengali Refugees from East Pakistan 77 LSG, “revisited to Kerala”, in (1949-1976) December 2007, at Trivendrum, 5. Scheme for Rehabilitation of Settlers 94 presently engaged with project work under ICSSR (Ministry of HRD) on 6. Community Development Schemes 104 Bengali Settlers in Andaman: A 7. Social Status of Bengali Settlers 116 Changing Account. Attended 8. Developmental Aspects and Bengali Community 126 National Seminar-cum-workshop in April 2008, “Sustainable City: 9. Present Social System Among Bengali Settlers 142 Problems and Challenges” in Port 10. Political Development in the Islands 159 Blair, organised by AIILSG, Mumbai. 11. Economic Activities 198 12. Cultural Activities 210 13. Observations 216 14. Suggestions 227 Bibiliography 231 Index 238 23 cm Cloth 2009 Rs. 650 ISBN 978-93-80031-07-1 2 Colonization and Rehabilitations in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, only 38 Islands are inhabited by the people in whom 25 and 13 are located in the Andaman and the Nicobar groups of Islands respectively. Nomenclature and History of the Islands 1 The position as well as the nomenclature of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is extremely obscure, many scholars have tried to find some reasonable answers and put their Introduction opinions regarding the nomenclature of these Islands. The Islands were inhabited entirely by aborigines mention of these islands dated back to the 2nd century A.D. in the writing of Claude Ptolemy. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the true example of unity The map referred to indicate the Islands of Buzacata in diversity in an Indian society, pronounced by most to be in the place of the Andaman Islands and it is said dignitaries of India, who visited the land of indigenous that this island produces considerable/huge quantities of tribes. The island’s society carries a significant role before shells and the inhabitants go naked and are called Agmatae. the rest of India. It is a settlement, which set a unique It is believed that the Islands of Buzacata refers to the example for its unity and integrity for the rest of India. Andaman Islands and such a peculiar name has been given The study on Island’s society is empirically very important by the travellers. to give instance to other societies about unity in diversity Later mentions of these islands are found in the collection glorify in multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic society. Before of early Arab notes of the 9th century on India and China outsiders reached to these Islands, it was exclusively the and the people of the Andaman have been called homeland of indigenous tribes. The British unfolded the Angananians. Further mention of the Islands is made by door of Virgin Islands in Bay of Bengal before the world the two Mohammedan travellers, Chinese, Buddhists monks viewers in 1858. Since then it was the unending journey of I’Tsing 672 (AD), Marco Polo (1280 AD), Nicolo Conti (1430 the non-tribal to these Islands. There are six different types AD) etc. it is evident from their writing that the islands of tribes inhabited in the chain of Islands.