Dry study on an oceanic idyll

THE inky blue waves of the Bay of Bengal wash the shores of one of the most beautiful archipelagos anywhere. But the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands is much more than just a tourist destination. Housing the infamous Cellular Jail, Andaman had once symbolised colonial subjugation. But there is as much history in the isles as matters of anthropological and ecological moment.

It is home to perhaps one of the most interesting mosaics of human societies and natural ecosystems. The islands have a population mix ranging from the 6 indigenous tribal groups, to the descendants of prisoners from the former British penal colony, and a variety of settlers from the mainland.

As part of its research programme on the communities of India -- spanning 7 years and involving over 500 scholars -- the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) has brought out a volume on the A&N Islands -- the 12th in its People of India series. This is the first contemporary compilation on the island and its people as a whole.

The book begins with a comprehensive introduction, followed by sections on the 19 communities of the islands, which, for reasons best know to the ASI, include categories such as "ex-servicemen" and "locals".

What is surprising is that the romance of anthropology itself, or even the excitement of studying the Andamans, had completely failed to stir the authors' imaginations. All the contributing authors have maintained a very mechanical, dry style, almost as if they were writing about machines rather than living beings. The bureaucratic uniformity is stark.

Each community is described in a set format, moving from the origins of a group, to it's cultural and social history, on to its links with modern development. What unfolds in the pages is also the story of how such amazingly diverse communities had gelled themselves into a wellknit community at large; something their counterparts on the mainland would do well to emulate.

The story of the tribal groups is different, though. The study of the 4 Negrito tribes of Andamans and the 2 Mongoloid tribes of Nicobar, who represent the isles' original population, is one of modern India's most ambitious projects, and immensely useful for the information it is yielding.

However, one wonders whether the ASI's amour with statistics has made it oblivious to a human engagement with its "subjects". A little more effort to go into the human dynamics of these communities and their inter-relations would have infused a work of such immense value with some life.

---Sunita Rao works with Kalpavriksh, a Delhi-based environmental NGO, and is currently involved with education projects in Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.