In Defense of Freedom of Press: Arnab Goswami’s Arrest and the Questions Therein

A team of Raigad Police came in with a large of contingent armed with weapons such as AK-47 guns and arbitrarily arrested Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of Repulic TV in the wee hours of 4 November, 2020.  It’s important to note that the Raigad police contingent included some of the encounter specialists from the Mumbai police. The alacrity and the manner with which this all was done has sent shock waves across India provoking people to come on the streets in the defense of freedom of press, speech and expression. Most importantly this is being done on a day when the US election is expected to take over news space on our electronic, print and social media. Therefore this action on the part of Government of Maharashtra and Raigad police demands a thorough scrutiny.

Some of the so called pseudo-intellectuals are seen supporting his arrest saying this has nothing to do with Arnab’s journalistic endeavors and therefore there is no need to make hue and cry out of it. Moreover some of them seemed cheering up and rejoicing on the development. But that should not surprise right thinking people as these characters have every now and again shown their shallowness and exposed themselves.

What are the charges against Arnab Goswami? The case dates back to May 2018 when a 53 year old Mumbai based architect and an interior designer Anvay Naik, owner of Concorde Designs Pvt. Ltd. committed suicide along with his mother at his house in Alibag that comes in the jurisdiction of Raigad police. He purportedly had left a suicide note mentioning he was compelled to take the extreme step due to nonpayment of dues by Feroz Shaikh, owner of IcastX/Skimedia and Nitesh Sarda, owner of Smartworks along with Arnab Goswami who owed Rs. 4 crore, Rs. 55 lakh and Rs. 83 lakh respectively. A case under section 306 of the IPC was registered against the concerned. After due course of investigation the Raigad police had concluded that they did not find enough evidence to carry on with the case. After Raigad police’s submissions in the local courts, the case was closed in April, 2019.

The 2019 legislative assembly elections in the State of Maharashtra witnessed a political crisis with no single political party being able to prove their majority. People in Maharashtra had given a clear mandate to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, each winning 105 and 56 seats that form a clear majority in 288 members Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. However, Shiv Sena defied people’s mandate and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Indian National Congress (INC) with Shri Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister on 28 November, 2019. It was at this point in time that the political situation in Maharashtra took a dramatic turn with MVA government adopting all unscrupulous means to hold on to power.

Adnya Naik, daughter of deceased Anvay Naik’s daughter went to the Police again in May, 2020 and appealed to them saying the case of her father’s death was not investigated properly. Therefore that needs to be reopened again. Mr. Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra twitted on 26 May, 2020 stating that he has ordered a CID re-investigation into the case. The following twit by Mr. Deshmukh has no mention of Feroz Shaikh neither does it mention Nitesh Sarda. Therefore we need to look into mala fide intents involved and also the socio-political developments during this time in the State of Maharashtra

On the fateful night of 16 April, 2019 some anti-social elements allegedly having their religio-political affiliations killed Kalpvrikshagiri Maharaj (70) and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) belonging to the Juna Akhara along with their driver Nilesh Telgade (30). This brutal killing of the two revered Sadhus, who were on their way to attend funeral of their Guru Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj in Surat, took place at Gadchinchale village of Palghar district of the Raigad division. The Chief Minister and his government initially tried to brush this heinous crime under the carpet but had to face severe backlash from people in Maharashtra and across India. While many pseudo-secularist journalists in the electronic and print media chose to remain silent on the issue, it was Arnab Goswami who highlighted the issue. His relentless reporting on the issue sent shivers down the spine of MVA government and power hungry politicians acting on the behest of their political masters.

It was here that the political vendetta started against Arnab Goswami. A case under IPC sections 153 (giving provocation to cause riot) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on the basis of religion) and other sections was registered against him following his 21 April, 2020 talk show "Puchhta Hain Bharat" on killing of Sadhus. On this show, he had asked if it was a crime to be Hindu and wear saffron and whether the people would have remained silent had the victims been non-Hindu. An FIR was also registered against him for gathering migrants outside Bandra railway station.

The Repblic TV’s ceaseless coverage investigating into the various angles involved in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case had further exacerbated enmity between Arnab Goswami and the Thackerays and Mumbai police. In hurriedly convened press meeting on 8 October, 2020 Mumbai police Commissioner Mr. Parambir Singh had leveled charges of TRP scam against Republic media network. On yet another occasion a show cause notice was issued to him by Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to initiate breach of privilege motion. These efforts do indicate at the MVA governments dubious functioning aimed to suppress freedom of press and freedom of speech and expression.

Moreover, these attempts should not be seen in isolation. The BMC had demolished a part of actor Kangna Ranaut’s office and bungalow at Pali Hill on 9 September, 2020 for her being vocal on Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. Furthermore, Mumbai police hounded television journalists for allegedly obstructing BMC officials from doing their job and gathering a crowd. Shiv Sena goons assaulted a navy veteran Madan Sharma for allegedly sharing a cartoon mocking Thackeray on a whatsaap group. Sunaina Holey, a 38-year-old woman was arrested by Mumbai cyber police for allegedly sharing a comic picture of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray on social media. Rahul Tiwari, a resident of Wadala was beaten up and his head shaved for criticizing Thackeray for comparing the action against Jamia Nagar rioters with that of Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. One can site such innumerable cases when journalists, social activists and individuals were harassed for being critical of the Thackeray family or the MVA government.

The Thackeray government has miserably failed to tackle the covid-19 pandemic. Instead of catering to the needs of people, certain ministers were found partying with their friends when the lockdown was still in force. Recently pictures of French President Emanuel Macron were pasted and trampled upon on the roads of Mumbai by certain radical Islamic groups. Many properties of dreaded criminal Dawood Ibrahim are standing toll in Mumbai. Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, a son of revered Balasaheb Thackeray, would be much appreciated if shown some spine in acting against such elements. The kind of autocratic behavior that his government has exhibited since he has become the Chief Minister would only bring disrepute to the legacy that he inherits.

Furthermore, vibrant media and civil society are the hallmarks of well functioning democracies. Any attempt to suppress them will only project autocratic character of the politicians that are hell-bent on clinging to the power. Therefore it’s incumbent on the government to prove that they are accountable and discharging to needs of people. At the same, we as society too need to stand up to the authoritarian governments and make them accountable as provided in the article 19 (1)(a) that assures us of freedom of speech and expression.

Revisiting Shri Kartik Oraon’s Thoughts and Legacy

 

Shri Kartik Oraon also lovingly called by his followers as Baba Kartik Saheb was highly qualified tribal leader from the present day Jharkhand state of India. A politician of utmost commitment to the society that he led, he represented Lohardaga Parliamentary constituency for three times in the Lok Sabha. He also rose to become minister for aviation and communication of Government of India by dint of his hard work and passion to serve the society and nation. His was a committed life for the upliftment of tribal populace and he toiled endlessly for the cause of protection and preservation of tribal life and culture from evangelical aggressions.

He was born in a village named Karounda Littatoli of Gumla District of Jharkhand state on 29 October 1924 to Jaira Oraon (Father) and Birsi Oraon (Mother) belonging to Kurukh tribe. After completing high schooling from Gumla in 1942, he passed Intermediate examination from Science College, Patna, and completed bachelor of engineering from Bihar College of Engineering, Patna. Thereafter he moved to England and completed his further studies in engineering from Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow and Battersea College of Technology, London University. He also studied Bar-at-Law at the Lincoln's Inn, London. It is a matter of pride for Indians that during his stay in England for 9 years, he prepared a design of the world's largest automatic power station for the British government in 1959. Today it is known as 'Hinckley Nuclear Power Plant'.

Shri Kartik Oraon returned to India in 1961and he took over the post of Superintendent Construction Designer at HEC. Along with this, he also designed the building of BAU and Central Library. Later he was promoted to the post of Deputy Chief Design Engineer, but seeing the condition of the tribals of Chhotanagupar at that time; he resolved to work for the society and entered politics in 1962. He was not only a skilled engineer, but also an excellent politician.

In the leadership of Acharya Vinoba Bhave Ji, in 1968, when the Bhoodan movement was intensifying, the land of the tribals was being sold at a cheaper price. At such a time, Karthik Oraon appealed to Mrs. Indira Gandhi to protect the tribals from depriving them of their land thereby becoming landless. He became successful in persuading Mrs. Gandhi, the then Prime Minister and arrangements were made to get back the lost land of tribals by enacting an act on the issue. It was due to Shri Kartik Oraon’s relentless efforts that Birsa Agricultural University was established at Ranchi. He was instrumental in the creation of ‘Tribal Sub Plan’ on the basis of which presently the Central and State Governments are running various development schemes for the development of tribes.

He will always be remembered for his most significant contributions to save tribals of their culture and traditions which were facing grave threats (they still do) in the wake of onslaught of evangelical missions that were hell bent upon converting tribal people into Christianity.  As a part of his fight against unscrupulous attempts to convert tribals, he submitted a memorandum to the government of India signed by 322 members from Lok Sabha and 26 members from Rajya Sabha in 1967. The document unequivocally asks for putting restriction on the reservation benefits to the converted individuals meant for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The suggestions in the said memorandum were countered by 50 members of the Lok Sabha in the Indira Gandhi government who were acting on the behest of Christian missions in India. Despite Kartik Oraon’s relentless efforts the recommendations in the memorandum could not be implemented as the Christian missions put tremendous pressure on Indira Gandhi to not to implement them. The suggestions in the memorandum were absolutely in line with the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 1967. The committee had recommended the following amendment:

“2A. Notwithstanding anything contained in the parliament in Paragraph 2, no person who has given up tribal faith or and has embraced either Christianity or Islam shall be deemed to be a member of any Scheduled Tribes ( Vide Para 2A, page 29, line 38 of the Schedule II of the report).

Such an amendment had already been done in the case of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in 1956 which reads as under –

 “3. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Paragraph 2, no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu or Sikh Religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Castes”

Timely implementation of the recommendations mentioned in the memorandum submitted by Shri Oraon and the Joint Parliamentary Committee would have proved a step in the right direction. At present huge population of tribals is lured to convert to Christianity, the northeastern states being the worst affected region of India. According to the latest published note on the Religion Data Census of 2011 by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) Mizoram Manipur and Nagaland have now become almost entirely Christian. The Christian Population among STs is in Mizoram is 90.08 percentage and in Manipur and Nagaland is 97.42 and 98.21 percentage respectively. This trend continues among STs in various other parts of India as well. Their conversion to Christianity essentially alienates them of their cultural heritage and indigenous faith that these communities have been following for years. Moreover, the newly converted Christians have started persecuting those who continued to follow their indigenous faith. Also Christian converts are the ones who usurp the reservation benefits the most.  Shri Kartik Oraon anticipated this much earlier and kept fighting for the cause of tribal all his life.

In his book “Bees Warsh Ki Kali Raat”, Shri Kartik Oraon has observed that rituals followed by tribals and the Hindus are not placed in contradiction but they are complementary. Citing the examples of Nishadraj, Shabari, Kanappa etc. and various anecdotes mentioned in the ancient Indian texts, he said tribals were Hindus since time immemorial.  In his book he further observed that conversion of Tribals into Christianity has taken place on a massive scale in the independent India than British rule in India. Therefore, as a social activist and a parliamentarian concerned for the cause of tribals, he insisted on the converted tribal people to be put outside the Scheduled Tribes category.

On the fateful day of December 8, 1981, Shri Kartik Oraon fell on the floor of the corridor of the Parliament House. He was admitted in the Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital for the treatment but his condition deteriorated and he left for the heavenly abode. He is no longer in our midst, but his thoughts and actions must serve as the guiding principles for those who work for the tribal cause. His battle for the rights of the tribal people who still adhere to their ancestral faith has till date remained unfinished which needs to be carried forward till the victory is achieved.  

 

 

The Making of Amit Shah

 The Indian polity has witnessed a tectonic shift with the general elections of 2014. As some impartial and Indic observers pointed out, Hinduness has become the defining character of society in general and polity in particular. We also have seen the return of olden days when one party dominated the political discourse in the absence of credible opposition. 

The political developments in India never seemed too bright before the announcement of Shri Narendra Modi’s name as a Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP in 2013. Ms Shila Bhat, a noted journalist who has tracked politics in Gujrat for long, points out that his closest associate Shri. Amit Shah played a significant role in making this happen. As noted in one of her pieces in the Indian Express, she writes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shri Amit Shah have known each other since 1987. She further says, in one of their meetings in Chandravilas Restaurant located on the Gandhi Road of Ahmadabad, Shah told PM Modi “Narendrabhai, get ready to become Prime Minister of India.” This was long before Modi even became Chief Minister of Gujrat. Ravish Kumar, an NDTV journalist in one of his programmes on Amit Shah says, the duo started exploring the world outside of Gujrat politics after BJP could not form the government at the centre in 2009 general elections. As committed soldiers of the party; they created their path to the national politics without hindering anybody else’ path. It was Amit Shah who insisted on Narendra Modi contesting his Lok Sabha seat from Varanasi to break caste based alliances in the state. 

As a general secretary of BJP in charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2014, Amit Shah’s well planned strategy paid rich dividends. The party won 71 Lok Sabha seats, a monumental increase from 10 seats it won in Lok Sabha 2009 elections. Despite Shah has known PM Modi since so log and shares close connection with him, he has always exhibited absolutely formal gestures in public life with him. He does not hold megalomaniac notions about himself. In all his public interactions, he quite categorically maintains that Modi is his leader and he is committed karykarta of his party. 

Shri Amit Anilchandra Shah was born in Mumbai on 22 October 1964 into an affluent Gujrati Hindu Vaishnava family. His father Anilchandra Shah owned a successful PVC pipe business. He spent earlier 16 years of his life and completed schooling in the RBLE School in Mansa, his paternal place in Gujrat. His childhood accounts reveal that he fought the first election of his life in the class seventh as a class monitor and out 50 students in his class, seventy five percent voted for him.  

From childhood, he was gifted with an eye to hunt talent among his companions and to utilize them for right purposes. His ‘born to rule’ attitude, unflinching determination and never say die spirit have been the hallmark of his personality since childhood. At the age of sixteen he moved from Mansa to Ahmadabad to study biochemistry at CU Shah Science College and joined Ahil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student wing affiliated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Within the span of two years of joining ABVP he was made a joint secretary of Gujrat ABVP. 

Along with his affiliations with RSS, it was in 1980s that he also laid the foundations of his spiritual life under the auspices of Swami Vamdev who originally came from Western Uttar Pradesh. Swami Vamdev belongs to the Dashnami Sampradaya of Sadhus founded by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th Century and also happens to be one amongst five Mahants who led the movement for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya for the first time. It was on his advice that Shri Shah took part in Kumbh Mela and spent time with many Sadhus in 1986. His active participation in this Kumbh Mela and marathon interactions with Sadhus there strengthened his conviction about rich and varied traditions and the greatness of Hinduness. Therefore his association with RSS and his spiritual moorings helped him shape his views in private life and in public thinking.  

Shri Shah and PM Modi met in the year 1980 in Ahmadabad for the first time in Sangh Shakha, a morning gathering of RSS. However, they came closer in the year 1987 when the duo entered into the BJP. A lot of RSS cadre was allowed to enter into the BJP after Shri Lal Krishna Advani became the party president in 1986. However, what distinguished Modi and Shah from the others was their ability to translate the organizing skills learnt in RSS by keeping political exigencies in Mind.  

Shri Shah started his political career in Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha. Endowed with extraordinary organizing skills and ability to work tirelessly, he scaled up the ladder holding various positions including that of ward secretary, taluka secretary, state secretary, vice-president and general secretary in the Gujrat BJP. His big break in politics came when he was assigned the responsibility of an election campaign manager for Shri Lal Krishna Advani in Gandhi Nagar during the 1991 Lok Sabha Elections. His masterly planned election campaign brought him into limelight within the party circles.

Modi and Shah played a significant role in the formation of first BJP government in 1995 in Gujrat with Shri Keshubhai Patel as the Chief Minister. That time, Congress party had a stronger vote base in rural areas and had won large number of panchayat elections. To contain congress' influence over the voters in rural Gujarat, Modi and Shah identified the second most influential person in each village and got him in the BJP. As a part of this strategy they created a network of 8000 influential rural leaders who proved to be of great help during elections. They did the same to reduce Congress’ influence over the state’s powerful cooperatives that play an important role in state’s economy. Mr. Shah successfully contested election and became president of Ahmadabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB), the biggest cooperative bank in India in 1999. In this election Shah strategically broke the caste alliances that were so prevalent in the elections of ADCB Bank. Not only that, his presidential tenure saved the bank that was on the verge of collapse because of the losses it had suffered and converted the bank into profit making entity. Modi-Shah duo also sought to reduce the Congress hold over sport bodies in the state. Shri Shah went on to become president of Gujarat Chess Association, vice-president and then the president of cash rich Gujrat Cricket Association.  

In 1995, Modi, due to his rift with Shankarsinh Waghela, was sent to Delhi as National General Secretary and Shah stayed back in Gujrat working to strengthen the BJP organization and stood for Modi all along. Shri. Shah successfully contested his first assembly seat in 1997 for the Gujrat Legislative Assembly by-election of Sarkhej constituency in Ahmadabad. He retained his seat in the 1998 Assembly Elections. Thereafter, Shri Shah contested various state assembly elections from Sarkhej and Narainpura and won with record break margins. In 2001, BJP replaced Keshubhai Patel with Narendra Modi due to his falling health and loss of grip over the administration. During PM Modi’s twelve-year tenure as Gujrat CM, Shah emerged as one of the most powerful leaders in Gujarat. After winning the 2002 elections, he became the youngest minister in the Modi government and handled multiple portfolios. At one time, he held twelve portfolios: Home, Law and Justice, Prison, Border Security, Civil Defense, Excise, Transport, Prohibition, Home Guards, Gram Rakshak Dal, Police, Housing and Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs. 

In 2010, Mr. Amit Shah was falsely implicated for having orchestrated the extrajudicial killing of criminal Sohrabuddin, his wife Kauser Bi and his criminal associate Tulsiram Prajapati by the then congress government in the centre. He has faced the imprisonment for three months after which he was released on bail but on the condition that he would not come to Gujarat for two years. But Shri Shah is someone who turns his adversities into opportunities. All this while he stayed in Delhi, he built up close contacts with the national leaders of the BJP. Shri Shah’s determination to defeat Congress becomes even more concrete because it conspired against him and made him face imprisonment. Reciting from the Gita before his jail inmates, he took vow to defeat congress and he chose Uttar Pradesh to keep his promise. What we witnessed thereafter in Uttar Pradesh is history. He exhibited even more astute organizing skills, determination, and fire in the belly to win the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections making his party win 312 seats out of 403 seat assembly strength. Since he took over the mantle of BJP’s National President, he has taken the party to newer heights making it win in various states including that of north-eastern states where BJP’s presence was negligible. Under his tenure as a Party President that BJP got full majority in the 17th Lok Sabha with 303 seats. This was unimaginable before 2014. 

Along with PM Modi’s charisma, credit also goes to decisive leadership offered by party president Shri Amit Shah. He calls himself “chipku” and that explains why he is so determined to achieve the goal he sets for himself. As party president, he emphasizes upon creating properly equipped party offices with proper utilization of money allocated for the purpose. He also wants the party workers to collect anecdotes, essays, pictures, videos and books on BJP’s history for the benefit of coming generation. He wants the BJP workers read as much as they can to counter the anti BJP narratives.  

India will remember Shri Shah as Home Minister the most as he has taken certain concrete and bold steps which we as nation had hoped for too long. The abrogation of article 370, the decision to do away with the practice of Triple Talaq, the successful handling of Law and Order Situation after the Hon’ble SC’s verdict in favor of the construction of Ram Mndir in Ayodhya, the Citizenship Amendment Bill etc. have re-invoked India’s aspirations for something that's bigger and better. There will always be naysayers and detractors but as Shri Shah himself says he does things because that’s what Indians want him to do. Ultimately it’s for history to judge in the posterity. But for sure Shri Amit Shah's thoughts and actions in relation to socio-economic-political issues, national security, election strategies, organizing skills, new initiatives for his party will serve the reference points for analysts and observers on Indian politics. 

Photocredit: http://amitshah.co.in/tag/downloads-wallpapers/ & GettyImages@ https://www.gettyimages.in/solutions/mediamanager 

Remembering Shantikali Maharaj of Tripura

 

On 27 August, 2000, Swami Shantikali Maharaj was brutally assassinated by fanatics of Christian terrorist organization called National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT). This gruesome act was carried out by the enemies of Hindus at an Ashram near Jirania (Khumlwng area) under the Sadar subdivision in the State of Tripura. On Aug 27, 2000, he was presiding at his ashram with a gathering of local devotees. At night, these Christian militants broke into the ashram and murdered the priest for refusing to convert to Christianity along with his followers. It’s also important to note that in the same month another Hindu leader of the Jamatya community, Jaulushmoni Jamatya, was murdered in the hands of Christian terrorist active in the state.

Shantikali Maharaj was a popular Hindu priest also commonly known as Shantikali working among the tribals in Tripura for their socio-religious upliftment. The thirteenth child of Dhananjay Tripura and Khanjan Devi, he was born in a small village named Fulsori in south Tripura district of Subrum subdivision. At his early youth he left Tripura and ventured on a pilgrimage throughout India. It was during his travels that he determined to return to Tripura and establish a temple in the honor of Goddess Tripura Sundari and an ashram from which to administer to the needs of local tribals. After completing his pilgrimage, he devoted his life to establishing the Shantikali Ashram, first consecrated in 1979 at Manu in Subrum, on the auspicious day of Shiv Chaturdashi. The ashram has now grown to include 18 branches in Tripura. It has since been named the Shantikali Mission. The mission has been engaged in providing education to poor children, health services to the poor and running primary schools and orphanages.

Most of us from the other parts of India and many even from the north eastern states are not aware of the anti-India conspiracies cooking up in the region. On the name of serving humanity, the missionary organizations are carrying out large scale conversion. Not only that they are also sowing the treacherous seeds of separatist tendencies in the minds of converts who have posed a serious challenge to India’s sovereignty. The killing of Shanti Kali Maharaj and the chains of events thereafter prove testimony to such activities. The newly convert agents of Christian evangelical organizations are hell bent upon the uprooting the other indigenous faiths that have turned out to be minorities in the region long ago.

Even after the barbarous assassination of Shantikali Maharaj, the Christian terrorist and separatist organization NLTF was not satisfied. Its single point agenda is that Hinduism has to be expunged from their land of Christ. On Dec 4, 2000, nearly three months after his death, an ashram set up by Shantikali at Chachu Bazar near the Sidhai police station was raided by Christian militants belonging to the NLFT. In the months following his death, eleven of the priest’s ashrams, schools, and orphanages around the state were closed down by the Christian terrorist outfit. The mission has been engaged in providing education to poor children, health services to the poor and running primary schools and orphanages. Yet its social work was of no consequence. It was Hindu and that was that mattered to disciples of the intolerant sky-god of Tripura’s Bible belt terrorists. Hence Hindus, including the ‘tribals’, face not just a cultural genocide, but a very real physical one.

Anyone familiar with the history of Christianity should not be surprised by all this. In the west Christianity is on the decline. This is especially the case of established churches which have been rocked by scandals of rape, child abuse, and financial misdemeanors. Therefore they have turned up to India especially. This is because Hindus are the last remaining large body of what the Christian world has historically termed pagans, the unbelieving infidels who have the effrontery to bow down before graven images.

In Europe the indigenous pagan cultures were destroyed by the advancing soldiers of Christ. Charlemagne forced the peoples he conquered to accept Christ or face death. For this the Pope crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. The Teutonic Knights forcibly converted the Slavs and Baltic peoples, and later inspired the Nazi push for lebensraum in the east. The history of massacre of Jews is well known who were considered as the demonic entity therefore should be eradicated by those who served Christ. Only in India did Jews flourish free from persecution, as a direct result of the ancient Hindu tradition of tolerance and acceptance.

It’s this essential foundation of India which Christian evangelists are intent on destroying. The north eastern states of India have been largely converted to Christianity and various cessationist organizations had long plagued the region. In the recent years they seem to be on decline but the tribal belt of central India seems to be falling in the trap of various evangelical organizations. In the recent times we have witnessed activities such as Pathalgarhi movement in Jharkhand posing potential threats to India’s internal security. Its therefore, time has come to think of enacting strong anti-conversion laws if we were to protect India’s integrity and sovereignty.

Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story, Bloomsbury and the Left Liberal Cabal

On Saturday, the 22 August, 2020, Bloomsbury India announced that it will not publish the book “Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story” by Monika Arora, Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra. It was done under the pressure from tiny global left liberal cabal that controls Indian publishing and constantly imposes ideological censorship. These unscrupulous ‘gatekeepers of conscience’ allow what is convenient to them and cry foul on the name of freedom of expression when things don’t suite to their designs.

We are told that this cabal is rejoicing since the book was stopped from getting published on the intended date. But in my opinion, it’s a moment of celebration for the nationalists as the lies of freedom of thought and expression that were being served for such a long time stand exposed in the backdrop of this cacophony. It’s also important to note that Bloomsbury India has already published a book called “Shaheen Bagh: From Protest to Movement” by Zia-us-Salam and Uzma Ausaf. Not only that a third grade book by Aziz Bernie which spread a naked lie that the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack was orchestrated by RSS and its affiliates also went through publication in this country.

This cabal has constantly talked that an idea should be countered with an alternative idea. Then how come the likes of William Dalrymple, Khaled Hosseini, Atish Taseer supported by Nidhi Razdan etc. lobby with Bloomsbury’s head office in UK and pressurize Bloomsbury India to withdraw from publishing the book? Bloomsbury India, which was supposed to be publishing the book had done all the scrutiny of the manuscript and had approved the publication. The last minute withdrawal leads to breach of trust and breach of contract for which it must pay. Even before the book was launched, it was on high demand as it was rated number one best seller in the political category on Amazon. This in fact sent the shivers down the spine of the unholy alliance of the Urban Naxals and Jihadists who were complicit in orchestrating the Delhi Riots, 2020. Howsoever, these left-(il) liberal- (pseudo) secular gangs try to suppress the truth, it will surface. The book “Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story” has already been published by Garuda Prakashan and surly millions of its copies would be sold.

Is this selective approach of the so called freedom of speech and expression an isolated incident? We cannot remain oblivious to the fact that these gangs became successful in banning the book “The Satanic Verses”, by Salman Rushdie on 5 October, 1988 during Rajive Gandhi’s premiership in India. Then the Jihadi gangs stopped Salman Rushdie from participating in Jaipur Literatrure Festival in 2012.  This time again, it was Ashok Gehlot led congress government in Rajasthan. In the similar vein Taslima Nasreen’s book “Lajja” was banned by the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Government (the left government in West Bengal) in 2003. The author was hounded and attacked during her book launch function in Hyderabad by the fanatic goons of Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM party in 2007.  The nationalist historians and commentators were systematically sidelined or their books and commentaries were stopped from getting to the mainstream discourse.

This unholy alliance left no stone unturned in demeaning the then Gujrat Chief Minister and the present Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. The left-liberal academicians and journalists tried every trick to humiliate him at every platform though the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team had absolved him all the charges leveled against him in relation to 2002 Godhra riots in Gujrat. This tiny global cabal had become successful in lobbying with US government to deny him a tourist visa under little known law on religious freedom called International Religious Freedom Act of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in 2005. In the same year he was forced to cancel his visit to London due to protests by these dubious characters. European Union too had yielded to such a nonsensical pressure.

As Shri Narendra Modi rose in his stature and was likely to be presented as BJP’s formidable prime ministerial candidate, the countries in question started revoking their previously held position. Again the cabal of sixty-four members of Indian Parliament, 25 from the Lok Sabha and 39 from the Rajya Sabha, petitioned US President Barack Obama to advise the State Department to hold firm to its 2005 decision. One of these tricksters called Aatish Taseer had cajoled Time Magazine to portray Narendra Modi as ‘India’s Divider in Chief’ on the cover of its May 20 issue in the midst of 2019 general elections in India. What happened in the 2019 general election is the history for them all to see.

These slavish minds, still in their colonial shackles and deep slumber, don’t seem to be awakening to the new India. The new India that’s emerging after 2014 is firm in its resolve to rise with its cultural roots. It’s not weak, meek or submissive. The long pending issues such as Legal Ban on Triple Talaq in July, 2019, Abrogation of Art. 370 in August, 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December, 2019 and the construction of Shree Ram Temple at Ayodhya (the Birth Place of Prabhu Shree Ramchandra) on 5 August, 2020 following Supreme Court’s verdict on 9 November, 2019 are being carried out at a faster pace. Now they are desperate as the patronage they enjoyed doesn’t seem coming back anywhere in their sight.

The Delhi riots and the recent communal riots in Bangalore are the manifestation of their desperation. The Jihadi and Urban Naxal gangs are hell bent upon weakening the fabric of Indian society but the diversity at the base of which their lies unity is strong enough to endure such assaults. It’s therefore incidents like Bloomsbury withdrawing the publication of the book that intends to expose this nexus won’t have much bearing. In fact it’s a wakeup call to not rely on the foreign publishing houses and create our own platforms that that will help us build new India’s pillars deep and lift them to the sky.

Remembering Swami Lakshmananada Saraswati Ji: His Legacy and Lessons

Today on 23 August 2023, it would be fifteen years since Swami Lakshmanananda ji was assassinated by fanatic Christian Missionaries and the Maoist Gangs in the Kadhamal District of Odisha. Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati ji, a Hindu monk devoted to the cause of awakening Hindus against Christian evangelism was seen as a big stumbling block in their activities to covert the innocent Hindus taking advantage of their ignorance and poverty.  They killed him in alliance with Maoist gangs of the Kandhmal district on the auspicious day of Janmashtami. There have been many such killings and numerous attacks on Hindu saints and monks. What’s appalling is that these brazen acts against Hindu monks and people adhering to Hinduness have either gone unreported or brushed under the carpet. Moreover the state and central governments of those days coined terms such as Hindu terror, saffron extremism and so on and did not leave any stone unturned to further malign Hindus. Therefore, while we remember Swamiji on his fifteenth martyr day, we also need to know the deeper conspiracy that’s brewing in the country. 

Swami Laksahmanand Saraswati deicided to be a Sanyasi at the age of 25 and he went to Himalayas. There he performed tapasya for 12 years and then he came to Rishikesh. There he started studying Hindu scriptures and he became proficient in Vendanta. Therefore the other Sadhus in Risheksh named him as Vedant Keshri Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati.

In 1968, Swamiji had come back to Kandhmal in Odisha and made the district his karmbhumi. He came to the Kandhmal district as per the suggestions of other Sadhus at Rishikesh and after consultation with the leaders of Rashtriya Swayasevak Sangh. Within a year of his coming to the district, Swamiji set up an Ashram at Chakapada in the Kandhamala district.

Kandhmal District even today is a remote district populated mainly by two major communities. The Kandhas, who are Scheduled Tribes, constitute 53.6 percent of the total population of the district. The other major community is Panos, a Scheduled Caste Community constituting 16 percent of the total population of the district. The Panos have largely been converted to Christianity.

Seeing the deplorable condition of people in the district, Swamiji decided to work for the all-round development of them. He started imparting Sanskrit Education to the poor tribal and Dalit community students in the ashram that Swamiji had set up in 1969. Today the School that he ran in the Ashram has turned out to be a well-known college in the area.

Swamiji was committed to the cause of the Hindu awakening of people in the Kandhmal district. With the help of people from surrounding villages, he repaired Birupaksha Temple, Anandeshwara Temple, and Jogeshwara Temple in the Kandhamal district.  Swamiji believed education of young boys and girls in the district can help them realize their original fold and also help them explore promising opportunities for a brighter future. With this in mind, he established a separate residential school for girl students at a place called Jalespata in 1989. Even today hundreds of girls study in this School and many have settled well in their lives.

Along with setting up Ashrams and Schools, Swamiji also kept working for the spiritual development of people. Therefore he started organizing Jagannath Rath Yatra from Kalinga in which thousands of people participated overwhelmingly. He also organized Satsangas and other religious celebrations in order to inculcate good Sanskaras and to raise the bar of the socio-cultural outlook of people. Such initiatives not only imbibed spiritual development in people but also ensured liquor-free villages.

People started realizing what they had missed by converting to foreign religion as Swamiji’s spiritual initiatives exhorted them to respect their deity ‘Penu Basa’-their sacred place and ‘Darni Penu’-Goddess Earth. Swamiji encouraged the local inhabitants to re-invoke their deities and various ways of worship. Importantly Hinduism celebrates diversity of ways of worship whereas in Christianity such indigenous faith and practices are decried. The enthused people then embarked on carrying out Ratha Yatras in the area and set up Bhagwat Tungis or the place of religious discourses.

Swamiji was an ardent worshiper of mother cows and he worked relentlessly for the prevention of cow slaughter. For that, he carried out several campaigns, agitations, and demonstrations for a legal ban on the slaughterhouses that killed cows. It’s also important to remember that in 1966, when Hindu organizations launched a major campaign to demand a ban on the slaughter of cows in India, Swamiji also took part in the agitation in Delhi. He was arrested along with many others and spent 18 days in Tihar Jail.

Swamiji believed that the Christian Churches were involved in the fraudulent conversion of the simple-minded people and were uprooting them from their great traditions and culture. He also propagated that such wrongful conversion was creating a serious threat to India’s internal security and sovereignty. He was determined to stop such illegal and immoral behavior on the part of evangelical organizations. He actively protected poor Hindus in that area from falling into the trap of Christian evangelists.

Swamiji's activities had infused self-confidence among poor tribal and Dalit people in the area. The Church-led intrusion into the practices that they had been following inherited from their ancestors had also created disenchantment about Christians in the minds of people. Therefore the re-invoked respect for their age-old culture and tradition started drawing them back to their original fold. It was a major irritant for the intolerant Christian zealots and they conspired to remove Swamiji from their immoral path.

They made an alliance with Maoists active in the area and made eight attempts before they became successful in assassinating Swamiji on 23 August 2008. The barbarous incident of killing of Kalpvriksha Giri Maharaj (70) and Sushil Giri Maharaj (35) in the Gadchinchale village in the Palghar district of Maharashtra on 16 April 2020 also hints at the same kind of unholy alliance.

The divisive forces in collusion with Christian missionaries mostly active in poor, tribal, and Dalit areas and localities are creating havoc. Therefore, as we remember Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati ji on his 15^th Martyr Day on 23 August 2023, we must also understand the wildfire of the conspiracy that’s spreading in such areas of India thereby posing serious threats to India’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty.   

Socio-Cultural Lives of Madias and their Positioning in the Present Context

Madia-Gonds or Madia or Maria as they are referred to, belong to one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) as classified by the Debhar Commission (1960-61). Such a classification was made based on their underdevelopment even within tribal population in India. This sub-category within Scheduled Tribes was created during the Fourth Five year plan taking their low level of development into consideration. The Debhar Commission Report and other studies have also referred to them as “Primitive Tribal Group”. A pre-agricultural system of existence, their practice of hunting or gathering, zero or negative population growth, extremely low level of literacy in comparison with other tribal groups are some of the characteristics that these tribal groups show in general. 

Madia-Gonds are one of the endogamous Gond tribes living in Chandrapur District and Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra State, and Bastar division of Chhattisgad State of India.They particularly differentiate themselves by calling them Madias who originally do not show much of close cultural association with Raj-Gonds who used to be the rulers and maintained their own princely states once. They refer to the area where they reside as Madia-Desh and speak Madia dialect of Gondi. Till recently they practiced shifting agriculture which they called as jhoom. Certain studies have pointed out to the living megalithic practices amongst the MadiaGonds. One of the findings of The Bench Mark Survey done in 1997–1998 has shown that 91.08 percent of Madia Gond families lived Below Poverty Line.

Cultural Life of Madias

The Chandrapur district gazette description of the Madia describes the tribes as they  inhabit the wilder tracts, and are in their unsophisticated state a very attractive people. The villages are usually built deep in the jungle near some wide shallow stream, which offers facilities for the gata (their staple food) cultivation, and the surrounding jungles supplement the fruits of their agricultural efforts. Few villages lack the customary grove of toddy – Palm wine trees, the juice of which, fermented or unfermented, is ever acceptable to them. The Marias are a lithe, active looking, well-built set of men, open, hearty manner, and the cheerful smile of good fellowship. Their dress is scanty, consisting of a compromise between a langoti (a loincloth) and a dhoti, a strip of cloth wound tightly round the waist in rope-like folds and passed between the legs with the spare end hanging down in front below the knees. Often this garment diminishes to the scantiest rag. They adorn their necks with handsome strings of beads and their arms occasionally with metal and glass bangles. Their ears are pulled out of shape by the weight of numerous brass rings with which they are usually garnished and occasionally they wear pagris. A curved knife with a brass mounted handle is stuck into the waist cloth and, from the shoulder dangles the ever handy axe without which a Madia seldom moves. Maria women wear a lugada of strong cloth usually white with a coloured strip in the border. They wear no choli (blouse), no Gond woman ever does, and their necks, like their husbands are garnished with beads. They frequently tattoo their faces and limbs in intricate patterns.”

The Chandrapur district gazette description of the Madia further maintains about their dance as Madias, are very fond of dancing. It is the great amusement of the people. Night after night in the eastern tracts in the cool, moon-lit nights of the hot weather, the rhythmic lilt of a Gondi chorus fills the air, as the villagers dance round a fire in some open space near the hamlet. The favorite dance is a peculiar rippling step forward with the foot dragged, not very graceful when done by a single individual, but looking quite different when done in unison by a great circle of dancers singing a 're-la', 're-la', chorus to which the step keeps time. In some villages, where the headman is an enthusiast for the pastime, a trained band performs weird and wonderful step dances to the sound of the drum. At a big dance, the trained band occupies the inner ring round the fire, while the common folk, men and maids, in separate rings move round in great circles in opposite ways. All are dressed for the occasion in their best, bearing in their hands weird ornaments of wicker work, with garlands of flowers on their necks and in their hair, feather ornaments humorously or coquettishly placed. Seen in the glow of a huge log fire, glinting on the shining beads and barbaric ornaments of the dancers, with the throb of the drums and the beat of many feet moving in unison to the wild music of the voices in chorus, a Madia dance is a spectacle not easily forgotten, but lingers as a characteristic scene when other details have faded out of the memory. Men and women ordinarily dance in separate circles but in the dances where the young men choose their brides, they dance in couples.

Ghotul, a place where social gathering takes place, occupies a significant place in the socio-cultural lives of Madias. It’s a centre where Madia people gather and decisions related to every aspect of their lives are made democratically. Madias worship stones by instituting them at their places of worship and regarding them as their Gods. Before embarking on any work of importance, they hold a celebration called Pandum e.g., BijaPandum before sowing seeds in the fields, PindiPandum before harvesting, Talin (Mother Godess) Pandum etc. Such celebrations generally take place in Ghotul in a village or a place of worship somewhere in jungle away from the village that they reside. It’s in Ghotul that the young men and women of Madia tribe gather and dance in the night particularly after dinner. It’s in here that they chose their partners for lifetime. Married women are not allowed to enter the Ghotul neither are they allowed to participate in worshiping their Gods and Goddesses whether in village or in jungle. However, Madia culture extends freedom to young women to choose their partners. As married women they have freedom to take divorce from their husbands if they are subjected to ill treatment by them or if they cannot beget a child from them. They have a right to spend their earnings. Husbands do not interfere in their affairs.

Life of Madias in the present context

In the recent times Madia tribe has shown significant potential for its development and readiness to match the steps of changing times. However the efforts made by the central and the state governments as well as those of the panchayti raj institutions of their development face some steep hurdles. The reasons being; the Madias have historically dwelt in isolated forest and hilly areas. Remoteness of their places of dwelling and governmental and administrative apathy to reach to them and bring improvements in their situation has further isolated them from the mainstream paradigm of development. The administrative mechanism seems to be awakened in the recent years and is trying hard to reach to them through the means such as Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), Special Central Assistance (SCA), State Tribal Commissionerates etc. However, their years of alienation has created space for skepticism towards the state led initiatives and the younger generation seem to be falling prey to propaganda of Maoists and some misleading individuals and groups. 

The work done by non-governmental initiatives, individuals and organizations, to a larger extent, has proved a milestone in bringing the Madia people to the mainstream. The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has been making unceasing efforts in such areas of Chatisgarh, Maharashtra and across the country that provides for their education, healthcare services, livelihood etc. through the network of its committed karyakartas. NGOs such as Lok Biradari Prakalp, Hemalkasa, Bhamragad and Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH), Chatgaon too are doing a commendable job for the cause of Madias in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra state. Work done by these organizations along with genuine governmental efforts have been ushering in much needed changes in the lives of these fellow countrymen. Most of them now can be seen doing wonderfully well as MPs, MLAs, ZP-Panchayat Samiti-Gram Panchyat Members etc. The students from Madia Community have taken courses in Engineering, Medical Research etc. and they are doing proud job as doctors, engineers, lawyers, professors and so on. This change certainly augurs well with society and the nation as a whole. 

The Particularly Vulnerable Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

This article gives a gist of the presentations and interactions held at two days’ national seminar organized by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on 27-28 June, 2018 in respect of Vulnerable Tribes (PVTGs) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The two days’ seminar hosted the well known anthropologists from the Anthropological Survey of India which has established an office at Port Blair and concerned policy makers and administrators.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is home to 4 Negrito and 2 Mongoloid tribes. The Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawas and Sentinelese belong to the Negrito origin. The Nicobarese that belong to the Mongoloid origin have, to a larger extent, accepted the challenge of change and adopted post-agricultural phase of human development. The members of the other Mongoloid community, the Shompen, still shy away from outsiders. The anthropological and archaeological research claims that the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar remained abode to these tribes for centuries and particularly the Jarawas, Onge, Sentinelese and Great Andamanese are thought to have travelled to these islands some 60,000 years ago from Africa. It is believed that the first tribe to come in contact with Indian settlers was the Great Andamanese followed by the Onge and finally Jarawa. Despite some efforts on the part of Indian government, the Sentinelese seem to be wary of the outsiders’ contact. 

Great Andamanese

As per one study, in mid 19th century there were 5,000 members of the Great Andamanese community. However, they came in conflict with the British settlers as the tribe defended its territory from invasion when the British established the penal settlement in the Andamans in 1858. Their conflict with the British settlers and many other calamities brought their population down to about 50 individuals in just a century and a half. As a result of such catastrophes, the various linguistic and tribal divisions among the Great Andamanese effectively ceased to exist by the turn of 20th century. Their linguistic diversity also suffered as the surviving population intermingled and some of them intermarried with Burmese and Indian settlers. By the later part of the 20th century, the majority of the Great Andamanese had become extinct.  

Presently the Government of India has re-settled the Great Andamanese in Strait Island, a short distance from the Port Blair. They are totally dependent on the administration for food, shelter and clothing. 

Onge

The Onge tribe of the Andaman Islands too faced the devastating effects of the British occupation of the Islands. The 2011 census estimates their population to 101 persons where as the research shows their population was 672 in 1901. The Onges originally lived in the Hut Bay and Dugong Creek but the Tsunami killer waves moved them further interior to the forests. Their traditional knowledge that tells of the ground shaking and a great wall of water destroying the land seems to have alarmed them of tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The Onges survived the disaster by taking shelter in the highlands deeper in the forests.

It is believed, among other causes the decline of the Onge population is also due to changes in their food habits brought about by their contacts with the outside world. This tribe considers remarriage a taboo but with the intention of increasing their population, they seem to have agreed to remarry. It is hoped that the remarriage among them would save them from extinction. 

Jarawa

For a larger part of history the Jarawas had shunned contact with the outsiders. Owing to this, very little is known about them apart from the fact that they use rafts, live in oval huts and are excellent swimmers. They initiated their first contact with the settled populations in 1997 when they emerged from the jungle close to Kadamtala in Middle Andaman. Since little was known about them, the petrified villagers fed them bananas and coconuts and sent them back to their habitats. Since 1998, they have been increasing contact with the outside world but it’s also posing danger to their survival due to the risk of disease. 

The 2011 census estimates their population to be between 250-400 individuals. They live in parts of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. There are some indications that the Jarawas trace their ancestry to the Jnagil tribe that is presumed to have become extinct by 1931. The Andaman Trunk Road that runs through the Jarawa territory and reserve of 1,028 square kilometers of dense evergreen forests has increased their contacts with the outsiders. 

Sentinelese

The Sentinelese are among the last people to remain virtually untouched and uncontacted by modern civilization. The information known about the Sentinelese is based on observations through the contact missions that were undertaken in late 20th century by the Government of India. It is believed that this tribe obtains subsistence through hunting, fishing and collecting plants. There is no evidence of any agricultural practice and also no evidence of fire making. They are called Sentinelese as they live in Sentinel Island. The Sentinelese, thought to number 40, through a median of around 250, and up to a maximum of 500 based on the survey conducted from a distance and also certainly does not represent an accurate figure. They have rebuffed all the contact with the modern world and fire a shower of arrows at anyone who comes nearby. They are believed to be the last pre-Neolithic tribe in the world to remain isolated and appeared to have survived the 2004 Asian Tusnami. 

Nicobarese

The term Nicobarese refers to the dominant tribes of Nicobar Islands. They mainly live in Car Nicobar. According to the 2011 census, their population is estimated to be about 22, 100 in numbers. Since they live in the adjacent areas of sea, they suffered the most due to killer tsunami waves of 2004.

The Nicobarese are mainly horticulturist and pig-herders inhabiting large permanent villages mostly close to sea shore. Though theirs are patriarchal families and as a rule live jointly, men and women enjoy equal status. The women have freedom to choose their husbands and after marriage they are free to live with either of the couple’s parents. 

Shompen

The Shompens practice hunter gatherer subsistence economy and inhabit the interior of Great Nicobar Island. The 2011 census estimates their population to 229 persons. For a large part of the history, they stayed away from the outside contact. The Shompens cast their vote for the first time when the Government of India set up polling station in their area in 2014.

Shompen huts are built to house 4 people, and villages are made up of 4 to 5 families. In keeping with the tropical climate of the islands, their traditional attire includes only clothing below the waist. With a view to protect the fast-depleting population of the Shompens, the Government of India has proposed granting their habitat the status of “unique human heritage” of the country.  

Safeguarding PVTGs of A&N Islands

Apart from scenic surroundings, the A&N Islands are known for the tribal inhabitants living for thousands of years. Their fast depleting population has become a cause of worry. While imposition of urban follies on these tribal groups is uncalled for, the policy makers suffer from the dilemma as how to tackle the issues concerning these PVTGs; whether to let them remain isolated or to assimilate them. It must also be underscored that no human society remains static. The socio-cultural changes take place; some at piecemeal while some others at rapid pace. 

With view to protect the PVTGs of A&N Islands, the Government of India has come up many policy level decisions such as inclusion of 1093 kilometers of additional forest areas into the Jarawa tribal reserve, notification of a buffer zone of 5 kilometers around Jarawa tribal reserve and prohibiting commercial and tourism activities therein. In tune with the Jarawa policy 2004, the A&N administration has operationalized an alternative sea route from Port-Blair to Baratang to lessen the burden of transport and communication on the Great Andaman Trunk Road that passes through the Jarawa forest reserve. In order to crack down upon the poachers and habitual offenders of the established norms, the A&N administration is strengthening the mechanism through the deployment of additional police personnel, faster means of communication and joint patrolling by police, officials of the forest department and Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAGVS) activists. This is being done in the coastal waters and adjoining lands. Government of India has already issued notifications in relation to ‘Policy for Shompens of Great Nicobar, 2015’ and addendums to the ‘Jarawa Policy 2004’ 

In order to provide healthcare facilities to these PVTGs in their own habitats, the mobile medical units linked with telemedicine system are being set up. This will prevent them from hospital induced cross infections and disease transmission owing to their low immunity.  Efforts are also being made to augment the food resources in the tribal reserve areas through disperse plantation of fruit bearing trees and by repopulating wild bores on a sound scientific principles. 

The PVTGs of A&N Islands have varying degrees socio-cultural atrophies, to a larger extent in the Andamanese and to the least in Sentinelese, on account of the intensity of their interface to the domineering geographies. The PVTGs of the A&N Islands represent the most primitive physical and genetic bearers of human history of evolution, migration and adaptation. These tribes bear the unique culture and indigenous knowledge of natural history and ecology of the islands; they are repositories of the historical remedy of the colonization and settlement of the A&N Islands. Apart from the above all, they add to the richness and diversity of India. Therefore, no stone should be left unturned in order to protect and preserve this populace of India. As envisaged in the Art. 29(1) of the Indian constitution, it is their right to be protected and their culture preserved.