S. A. Awaradi
It is in the recent news that Mykhail Viktorovych Polyakov, 24-year-old American You Tuber and a “thrill-seeker” has been arrested by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police for his alleged attempt to land on tribal reserve island of North Sentinel to contact the Sentinelese in violation provisions of A & N Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. The seven-year-old prophecy came true with this incident. In a communication made by me with A & N Administration on 10th December, 2018 contained in para 12(vi) the statement – “… No wonder, if this incident drives the crazy and psychopaths to attempt similar misadventure which could have dangerous impact on the healthy and peaceful living of the Sentinelese”
This is in the draft Tribal Policy for the wellbeing of the Sentinelese submitted to the Andaman Administration by me in the capacity of the then Director of Andaman & Nicobar Tribal Research & Training Institute (ANTRI). It was in reference to the November, 2018 incident of Sentinelese killing John Allen Chou, an American evangelist who illegally attempted to contact the Sentinelese. A crisp proposal to prevent recurrence of such unwarranted escapades, inter alia, was incorporated in that draft Policy.
Who are the Sentinelese
Sentinelese, a heritage ethnic community belonging to Negrito stock, is one of the six aboriginal tribes of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Negritos are the first ancient humans to occupy these islands in Bay of Bengal more than 50,000 years ago. Later in modern times, in spite of colonization of these islands and fraternising other aborigines by British followed by mainland Indians, the Sentinelese remained in self-isolation and the sole inhabitants of North Sentinel Island because of their fierce hostility towards all outsiders. Several attempts to contact them made by a number of authorities were vehemently repulsed by the Sentinelese.
However, a different approach i.e. anthropological methodology applied consistently during contact expeditions led by me as the then Director of Tribal Welfare Andaman & Nicobar Administration for about three years from 1988, resulted in striking the first ever friendly contact with the Sentinelese on 4th January, 1991. This breakthrough was reported as headline news by All India Radio and the official organ of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration “The Daily Telegrams” dated 8th January, 1991 published from Port Blair.
It was found, in due course, that their friendly disposition towards outsiders being ridden with a serious hazard on account of possible spread of alien diseases during interface with contact team members and reckless exploitation of fish wealth in the coastal waters around the North Sentinel by fishing interlopers. Hence, a policy decision was initiated and pushed by me in the capacity of the Director of Tribal Welfare to stop the practice of sending contact missions to North Sentinel to safeguard the interest of the Sentinelese and facilitate them to revert to their original and age-old hostility. And in fact, they did so.
Above : Press clipping of the first friendly contact with the Sentinelese in 1991
Hostilities resume
in 2006 two intruding fishermen were killed and buried in the sandy coast by the Sentinelese. There were a couple of instances when the foreign and Indian adventurists were clandestinely taken near North Sentinel by some local fishermen cajoled with money. In 2016, few fishers found near Sentinel Island were apprehended by Police. An American evangelist was killed in 2018. And now, Mykhail Polyakov again an American is arrested in March, 2025 as he attempted to contact the Sentinelese, said to be his third failed bid. There could be some unnoticed / unreported attempts to reach North Sentinel Island.
Outlanders Stayaway
It is evident that Sentinelese are determined to not allow the intruders into their island. This ethnic community has lived on its own for millennia and has resolved to continue with that and therefore the outsiders have no business to question it. It is uncivil for the “civilised” people to poke their nose into the life of the Sentinelese. It should be realised that these aborigines are leading the hunting – gathering way of life till today, as our ancestors did 12,000 years ago. As such, we owe a high regard to our own heritage in the living culture of Sentinelese. It is the ethical and collective responsibility of the modern societies and their States to protect Sentinelese and respect their autonomy.
Vulnerability of Sentinelese
North Sentinel Island measuring 60 sq. km is surrounded by the submerged extensive coral reefs. This island is about 52 km away on the west of Port Blair town, now Sri Vijaya Puram. As such, the Port Blair bound ships in distress due to bad weather or engine problems would run the risk of getting grounded in the coastal waters of this island. In the recent past, two international liners, MV Primrose in 1981 and MV Rusley in 1977 wrecked close to the shore of North Sentinel. Long drawn salvage operations on shipwrecks caused a lot of annoyance to the Sentinelese.
North Sentinel Island falls below the air route between Port Blair and airports of peninsular India viz, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bhuvaneswar, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune etc. In fact, aircraft fly low over the island as they begin descending in preparation for landing at Port Blair. Air disaster cannot be totally ruled out as per Murphy’s law. In such an eventuality, the Sentinelese would suffer casualties for no fault of theirs. Further, a difficult and tricky question would arise about rescuing the air crash survivors, if any, or retrieving the bodies of ill-fated passengers on account of hostility of Sentinelese. Various measures for preparedness to handle such situations too have been suggested in the draft Tribal Policy for Sentinelese mentioned earlier. It would be worthwhile on the part of the Government, in the interest of humanity to consider the said draft Tribal Policy and suggestions therein.
(The writer is Former Secretary to Government of NCT Delhi; former Director, Andaman & Nicobar Tribal Research & Training Institute)
