Dugong Creek,

A Tribal reserved 731.60 sq km

Bengali settlement areas up to 22

km from Hut Bay

PHC , & Hut Bay, Main hub Area

Hut Bay, wharf, a deep

water wharf

Harmendar, a Nicobarese

Village

South Bay (Deserted after

occurrence of Tsunami)Little Andaman

ONGE

Little Andaman (LA) Island once was exclusively the

abode of the OG until early 1960s

OG tribe, settled at Dugong Creek (DC) & South Bay,

LA in 1978

Post-Tsunami situation relocated them a little away

from DC

The geographical isolation of Dugong and South Bay

offers a secure resemblance of nomadic pursuits, and

the tropical rain forest, ecology, creeks, rivulets, sea

etc are conducive to sustain foraging activities

throughout the year.

Age

group)

Male Female Total Sex

(in years) N % N % N % Ratio

0-10 25 53.19 22 46.81 47 100 880

11-20 11 57.89 08 42.11 19 100 727

21-30 07 53.85 06 46.15 13 100 857

31-40 03 30 07 70 10 100 2333

41-50 03 42.85 04 57.15 07 100 1333

51+ 04 36.36 07 63.64 11 100 1750

53 49.53 54 50.47 107 100 1019

*AAJVS

Age-wise population

*Till June 2012

Socio-Economic condition of the Onge

As semi-nomad forager, hunting & fishing were their

fortes, fond of dugong that they hunt on full moon

night

Being animists, belief on ancestral assistance in

various foraging activities Observed adolescent ritual

for a month long usually followed by smearing their

bodies & hunting as well

Body painting with red ochre & white clay common

Dead is buried under the large bedstead in the hut,

which is then deserted

Monogamy stringently adhered to as marriage rules,

re-marriage of widow or widower allowable

Pre-tsunami situation, Dugong Creek

Onge settlement deserted

Post-tsunami situation,

Dugong Creek

Intrinsic designs, which

are usually painted by

womenfolk on their loving

spouses & on themselves

too.

Onge brusquely rejected the well-designed hut

models that were introduced, which

AAJVS/APWD built for them; soon dismantled

The Onge built & thatched their traditional dome-

shaped huts using indigenous technology

They prefer to live in such

traditional huts rather than in

the concrete huts raised on

permanent stilts, which were

constructed for them.

•Different welfare schemes has been formulated and

implemented for the welfare of the Onge tribe.

Infrastructure such as jetty, helipad, water supply, power

supply, Medical Sub-Centre & School provided in their habitat

Welfare dependent community, however, few engaged in

coconut plantation, poultry, fishery

•Premium paid for 32 Onge individuals (benefited, Rs.100/- per

individual) under the premium Janashree Bima Yojna, since

2007, GOI

•7 employed in Govt. service at DC

•38 OG children studying in Middle School, DC

•Basic facilities such traditional huts, medical sub-centre,

powerhouse & electricity supply, drinking water supply,

footpaths etc have extended to tribesmen in their new habitat

post-tsunami situation, which about 7-8 km from Dugong

Creek.

To make them self reliant, coconut plantations in an

area of 65 acres have raised for the tribal people.

They collect coconuts make copra and sell it through

their own Society viz., Onge Multi-Purpose Co-

operative Society (OMPCS) Limited to another apex

level society M/S ANCOFED Ltd, which supplies

essential commodities to them from natural springs of

sweet water. Unlike the dead past, now they depend on

the ring wells that have been provided to them within

the settlement areas.

Std 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

B G B G B G B G B G B G B G

I 4 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 4 1 2 4 - 2

II 5 - 4 1 4 1 4 - 6 1 4 1 2 4

III 5 3 5 3 5 2 4 2 4 - 6 1 4 1

IV 7 6 5 6 4 4 4 4 2 2 4 - 6 1

V - - - - 1 2 2 - 4 4 8 2 4 -

VI - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 6

Total 21 10 20 11 20 10 20 7 20 8 22 8 24 14

B&G 31 31 30 27 28 30 38

Year-wise enrollmentGovt. Primary School established in 1978,Upgraded to Middle school in 2011, all school records washed awayduring the occurrence of Tsunami in 2004

S.No. Class Boys Girls Total

1 I Nil Nil Nil

2 II 4 2 6

3 III 1 4 5

4 IV 1 6 7

5 V Nil 4 4

6 VI 6 8 14

Total 12 24 36

Educational levels

Anganwadi (Crèche) Dugong CreekMiddle School, Dugong CreekTwo (Outsiders) Primary School Teacher (PST) posted

S.

N.

Name Sex Designation/p

ost

Employing

authority

1 Babai F Helper *DE,

2 Rakesh M Helper *DE,

3 Totanagae M Helper #SC, AAJVS,

4 Sheela F Anganwadi

Worker

+DSW,

5 Kakae M Anganwadi

Worker

+DS,

6 Mohan

Lall

M Helper Pump House,

^MID, APWD,

Occupational pattern

The Onge still continue to affiliate themselves with members of the communal

hut-based groups attributable to certain social obligation for the perpetuation

of the groups and their rituals. South Bay, the southward area of LAI was the

second campsite of the Onge till December 26, 2004.

It is very unfortunate that they were shifted to Dugong Creek different

extreme pockets of Little Andaman Island at Dugong Creek. Efforts could

have been made to restore South Bay; because this particular band firmly

affiliate themselves with the habitat, moreover the communal hut-based,

environment, and resources of their campsite.

Together with the Onge individuals residing at the major campsite in Dugong

Creek, they have been fallen within the ambit of welfare measures of the

A&NA in general and AAJVS; of course is appreciable with conflicting

altruism objectives.

Bracketed as semi-nomads, thus palpably made welfare dependent people on

doles have considerably influenced their foraging skills.

•Ironically, they have not been able to integrate with the

menacing populations of Bengali settlers, repatriates from

Sri Lanka, Nicobarese and other heterogeneous

communities on equal footings.

•Currently, the ascending generations of the Onge are

experiencing modern living conditions that are conducive to

sedentary lifestyles.

•Altruistic welfare measures (Doles) seem to be justified;

but ultimately made them welfare dependent people. Such

induced welfare measures of extending doles made them

experienced Apollonian culture, which earned them

‘middle-of-the-road-behaviour’ neither revert to nomad nor

assimilate to a settled agricultural economy.

They appease their deity- Tomayu

“Lead kindly light amidst the

encircling gloom of darkness, let there

be light.”

THIDONGTHIDONG

BOIABBOIAB

TANMADTANMAD

Tribal Reserved Forest 1028 sq km enhanced

in 2004 in south & middle Andaman

Hut

847sq km

Strait Island, 6.02 sq. km

Great Andamanese (GA)

GREAT ANDAMANESE (GA)

One of the largest tribes that colonialism severely

impacted, perhaps more than ethnocide

To nurture & protect them, the entire pop. of the

GA were rehabilitated in Strait Island (1969), a

Tribal Reserve (TR)

Welfare dependent community

Rarely pursue their traditional activities of

hunting, fishing etc, however, few are engaged in

maintenance of coconut

Plantation, poultry, fishery & hunting

Animism in vogue, “Biligu” name of their deities

Dead child buried under floor of parental hut

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

Year 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

DemographyTable shows the drastic decline of Great Andamanese population since 1800.

Age group Male Female Total Sex

(in year) N % N % N % Ratio

0-10 09 50 09 50 18 100 1000

11-20 10 66.67 05 33.33 15 100 500

21-30 03 33.33 06 66.67 09 100 2000

31-40 05 62.50 03 37.50 08 100 600

41-50 02 50 02 50 04 100 1000

51+ 01 33.33 02 66.67 03 100 2000

30 52.63 27 47.37 57 100 900

Source: Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS)

Age-wise population

Onge

Ang (Jarawa) Sentinelese Jingil

South Great

Andamanese

Aka-Bea Akar-Bele A-Pucikwar Akakol Oko-Juwoi Akakede

Northern Great

Andamanese

Aka-Jeru Aka-Bo Aka-Kora Aka-Cari

Territorially, there were 10 major groups with

separate languages

Jero language is in vogue, present day lingua

franca- Common to all of them

The Great Andamanese are a stark example of how‘progress’ can destroy a population.

When the British first arrived there were more than 6000;today only 55 survive. 99% of the tribesmen have beenwiped out.

Like the Aetas of Malaysia, the Semang of Philippines andother mobile foragers such as Enawene Nawe (Brazil), Innu(Canada), Gurani-Kaiowā (Brazil), Panará (Brazil),Parakanā (Brazil) and Urihi etc. the Great Andamanese areon the verge of extinction.

The Enawene Nawe has a very different story. Theirnumbers have increased from 97 to more than 400

80% of the tribes were wiped out in just 8

years. The 350-400 Panará were contacted

when a road was bulldozed through their

land. Their population plummeted. 186

Panará died in the first epidemics. Soon there

were just 69 left. 1974 was a momentous year

for the Panará & Ang, when contact with the

outside world was established.

Yanomami

Nanti people from Peru

Innu

Bushmen hottentot

Enawene Nawe

Panará

GA were expert canoe makers, cane baskets, honey

containers, wooden buckets of aesthetic value

Shield shaped hollowed wooden musical instrument

Fond of pork (wild boar), dugong, turtle, turtle egg, fish,

mollusc-snail, clam & hard shell fish etc, crab, wild fruits,

tuber

Hunting & honey collection were their forte

Originally, climbing or plucking coconut was not their forte

Traditionally, their communal hut were thatched with roof,

family sleeping platforms & fire place

GA joyfully smeared their faces & bodies with white & red

ochre compounded with the gaieties of various calendrical

festivals

Acronym: ^Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, +,< Industrial Training Institute+ 11 & Five Great And. Children are studying in Port Blair & Strait Island respectively

Levels of Education

S.No. Name Father’s name Sex Class Remarks

1 Moor Elphe Boy I Strait Island

2 Khijree Look Boy I VKV^

3 Beno Joe Girl II Strait Island

4 Ocho Joe Girl II Strait Island

5 Dech Late Jirake Boy III VKV

6 Bui Elphe Boy III VKV

7 Buluba Late Jirake Boy III VKV

8 Lepay Loka Girl IV Strait Island

9 Beelae Joe Girl IV Strait Island

10 Liney Look Boy VIII VKV

11 Gulab Devi Loka Girl VIII S.B. S J.Ghat

12 Eraph Peje Boy VIII VKV

13 Olake* Look Boy *X VKV

14 Beeye (K. Singh)# Nao Boy IX Vocational training, ITI<, Dollygunj

15 Pharo Peje Boy X VKV

16 Deepak* Peje Boy *X VKV

Two Great Andamanese students qualify Class X, CBSE Exam 2012, they are as given below:

S.No. Name Father’s name Sex Class Remarks

1 Olake*

16 years

Luke Boy X Passed Class X, CBSE 2012,

secured 76%

2 Deepak*

17 years

Peje Boy X Passed Class X, CBSE 2012,

secured 60%

# Kumar Beeye/Biyae (B.A.Kishen Singh) successfully completed one year training course(2011-12) in Welder trade (G & E) from the Industrial Training Institute, Dollygunj, Port Blair

The Lt Governor, (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM,AVSM facilitated the Great And. boys for theiracademy & vocational achievements & gave awaycash awards of Rs.5000/- to each. The specialfunction was held on June 6, 2012 at Rajniwas,A&NI, Port Blair. It was a historic day as GreatAnd. boys first time ever have met success withflying colours in the CBSE Examination. TheChief Secretary, Shri Anand Prakash & the

parents of the tribal boys were also present on

this red-letter year.

21 of them employed in Govt. service in various

capacities,

25 GA children pursue their studies, one GA girl

undergoing training as ANM with the A&N Adm.

financial support

First time two boys passed the Xth std, CBSE

while another boy completed Welder training in

ITI, Port Blair

Sukumar Saha,Outsider, Diglipur

No offspring

Rangae, Great And.

•Monogamy is prevalent•Re-marriage of Widow allowed•Widower marriage accepted•Simple marriage ritual, but celebration haslonger duration•Marriage alliances with outsiders i.e.community exogamous

Zuber,Ogra Branch

Bowa, Great And

Jr. Jirake

Native name christened to the child in the womb.Adolescent girls are given new nameChild adoption large practice.

#Gulab Devi, Great And

Loka, Great And Prema Devi, Outsider

*Sharda DeviRohit Lal, Outsider

*DOB: June 16, 1991#DOB: Oct 24, 1996

Though, the GA have accepted the

challenges of urban life, however, their

assimilation is categorized like the

Apollonian culture as ‘middle-of-the-road-

behaviour’ extremely vulnerable tribe.

The anthropological axiom “Progress can kill”The Ang (Jarawa), Great Andamanese, Onge, Sentinelese& Shompen are discernibly drawing major attention ofadministrators, policy makers & academicians; mainlybecause they (Ang & Sentinelese) are nomads, while theremaining three are semi-nomads, levels of their cultureare uneven. So are their responses to administrativeovertures of wellbeing.