Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 02 January 2023
‘Shubh Journey’ a popular Travel Vlogger with over 21,80,000 Subscribers has uploaded two Vlogs on Youtube indirectly promoting Jarawa Tourism. Sanjay Kumar Swami travels with his family to different places and uploads travel vlogs on Youtube as ‘Shubh Journey’.
On 29th December 2022, the Vlogger uploaded a video titled ‘रात के अँधेरे में जारावा आदिवासी देखने जा रहे है – andaman islands Baratang, diglipur, jarawa’ which has more than 2,37,000 views. The video starts by informing the viewers that they saw the Jarawas and the Jarawas do not even wear clothes. The title of the video is clickbait to attract viewers as the Vlogger did not display any visuals of the Jarawa, but on multiple points in the video tells his viewers that they saw the Jarawa Tribes.
On 1st January 2023, the Vlogger again uploaded a video titled ‘आखिर समुद्र में जरावा आदिवासी से मिलना हुआ 🤟 baratang island limestone cave mud volcano Jarawa’ which has more than 1,50,000 views. The video is a travel vlog of the Lime Stone Cave at Baratang. The vlogger in the video mentions that they saw some Jarawas on a boat while travelling to the limestone cave, he added that the Jarawas were not wearing clothes and when they waved their hands, the Jarawas waved back.
The title of both his vlogs and the content indirectly promotes Jarawa Tourism.
In January 2012, the then Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands had warned the general public and tour operators that henceforth A & N Police will adopt a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy toward any attempt to promote Jarawa Tourism or Human Safari.
Youtube is the new mass media and Travel Vloggers with such huge subscriber base uploading videos with clickbait titles promoting Jarawa Tourism will only encourage people to flock to the Islands with the expectation of getting a glimpse of the Jarawa Tribe.
Andaman and Nicobar Administration should take steps to take down such Youtube Videos and take legal actions against those uploading irresponsible vlogs directly or indirectly promoting Jarawa Tourism.
Tourists should be warned that Jarawa Tourism is banned and promotion of Jarawa Tourism in any manner would land them in trouble.