Port Blair, Nov 24 2020
Mr. Rashid Yusoof, a well known name in the Islands and the State Chairman, Tribal Development Council, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Administration requesting relocation of Sri Lankan repatriates of 47 original families and their descendants from tribal area of Katchal Island to a non-tribal area.
Nicobar Times has accessed a copy of Mr. Rashid Yusoof’s letter to the Chief Secretary, which mentions that there is a huge threat to the culture and traditional life of the Nicobarese Tribes, which comes from the 47 repatriate families who were brought from Sri Lanka in the 1970’s and settled in Katchal Island.
He further mentioned that the Nicobarese have a low level of education in their community and are highly innocent and at the time of the settlement of the Sri Lankan Settlers in Katchal Island the Nicobarese were not aware of the prevailing Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956.
He has informed the Chief Secretary that the Katchal Tribal Council has requested the authorities several times to shift these Sri Lankan Settlers to a non-tribal area. He adds that the the villages of the Nicobarese in the western coast of Katchal Island were destroyed in the Tsunami of 2004 and the majority of Tribal Population of the Island had died. The surviving Nicobarese were shifted to Mildera Village alongside the Sri Lankan Settler families and adjusting to the life styles and values of the non-tribals is very annoying for the tribal population there.
He further informed that in the year 2003, the NDA Govt. took a decision to shift these Sri Lankan Settlers to a non-tribal area by offering a special package, but the process to shift them is delayed and he requested for the shifting process to be expedited.
He also mentioned that apart from the Tribal Council, the Katchal Settlers Association, which represents the Sirlankan Settlers and the Member of Parliament on many occasions have corresponded with the Andaman and Nicobar Administration for resettlement of the Sri Lankan Settlers. Shri. Yusoof also reminded about the judgement of the High Court which ordered their resettlement within 06 months, but has not been implemented yet. He mentions that the shifting of these Sri Lankan Settlers is a very sensitive issue for the tribals.
He further informs that the settlement of these Sri Lankan Settlers in Katchal Island is a violation of the ANPATR, 1956 and is a serious threat to tribal culture and their traditional lives.
He requested the Chief Secretary to re-settle these tribal families of the Katchal Island to a non-tribal area by offering a special package within a time frame to protect the traditional lives and culture of the tribals.
The copy of the letter has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner (Nicobar District), Assistant Commissioner (Nancowrie) and to the Chief Captain (Tribal Council, Katchal Island).
Want to learn more about the Katchal Island and the Nicobarese Tribal of Katchal. Buy this amazing book from Amazon, which elaborates on the traditional knowledge system of the Horticulture Nicobari Tribe of Katchal Island:
(Affiliate Programmes helps us stay afloat, purchase this book from the link below and Nicobar Times Receives a part of the purchase amount)
- Traditional Knowledge System of the Nicobarese – A Study among the Horticulture Tribe of Katchal Island by Dr. D.V. Prasad : https://amzn.to/3kXeiin
(Download our App: downloadapp.nicobartimes.com, Website: nicobartimes.com, Join our Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/nicobartimes, Follow Us on Twitter: twitter.com/nicobartimes, Join Our WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Eu2iTcQcsmp1hwBsTB9Uwv Join Our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/nicobartimes)