Traditional Innovative Practices of the A&N Tribals and the Administrative Intervention in Preserving and Protecting the Traditional Knowledge of the

Tribals

Presented by: -Shri Anand Prakash,

Chief Secretary,Andaman and Nicobar Administration

Tribals of A&N Islands

Shompens Nicobarese Sentinelese

OngesJarawasGreat Andamese

Overview of the Presentation

Tribals of A&N Islands

Insight into the traditional practices of Nicobarese tribals in extracting Virgin Coconut Oil

Administrative Interventions in Sustaining the Traditional Agricultural Innovative Practices by means of Mission mode Programme andOrganic Certification Initiative

Insight into the traditional ethno-medical practices of the A&N tribals

Administrative Interventions in Sustaining the Ethno-Medical Innovation / Health Practices of the Andaman and Nicobar Tribes

An Insight into the Virgin Coconut Oil Production Techniques and Administrative Intervention in Sustaining the Innovative Practices

through Organic Certification Based on the Participatory Guarantee System

• Mongoloid stock

• Post Tsunami, Scattered in nine inhabited islands viz., Carnicobar, Chowra, Teresa, Nancowrie, Kamorta, Katchal, Little Nicobar, Great Nicobar and Kondul

• Their population is approximately 30000

• Now, the most modern of all the tribes of A&N islands

• Belong to two genetic stocks - Burmese and Malayan

Coconut & Nicobarese

Coconut - a distinct identity of the Nicobarese tribes

Coconut - Elixir of Nicobarese Life owing to its role in their daily life

Among the traditional Innovative practices, the extraction of Virgin Coconut Oil needs a special mention and documentation

Extracted using a traditional equipment called Kintan tavi-i

Involves two methods - Sun Dry Method and Hot Water Extraction Method

Sun Dry Method

Grating ExtractionPressing in Kintan tavi-i

Hot Water Extraction Method

Administrative Interventions in Sustaining the Traditional Agricultural Innovative Practices

Through Mission Mode Programmes on Improving the production and productivity of the Coconut in Carnicobar and Teresa Islands I.e Carnicobar Coconut Mission and Teresa Coconut Mission

Unique scheme by dovetailing the flagship MGNREGA scheme of Dept of Rural Dept with the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana of Agricultural Dept.

Provides for a livelihood option to the farmers to offer his labour for the community land and and earn wage for the same as well. It is a win-win situation for the community as well as the individual as all the lands in Nicobar district are owned by the Tuhet (extended joint family)

The Mission aims at inculcating scientific farm practice to the community farmers by demonstrative technique of establishing model farms in every village

It aims at increasing the productivity and to tap the hidden market potential of the Organic Nature of the Farm Produce of Nicobar by obtaining Organic Certification through Participatory Guarantee System

Participatory Guarantee System of Organic Certification - as a tool for Community Empowerment

Organic Certification Initiative taken under CCM to fulfill one of its key goals I.e. to tap the Organic Potential of the coconut produce

PGS is a democratic approach in which the local farmers at the 'Tuhet' level will be empowered to form a 'Local Group' and announce themselves as Organic Agriculture Practitioners supported by all scientific documents prescribed by the National Guidelines on Organic Farming.

The District Steering Committee of CCM will facilitate the process by providing them financial, technical and institutional support

PGS system as such is in perfect harmony with the existing community structure of Nicobar. Hence, ideally suited for Nicobar.

An Organic Certification through PGS for the Tribal Farmers will be a recognition for their Traditional Innovative practice of making Virgin Coconut Oil and the No External Input Sustainable Agriculture - NEISA (as opposed to LEISA-Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture)

It fetches them a market premium and also will enable them to occupy a significant position in the Niche Organic Produce market in the country

Administrative Interventions in Sustaining the Ethno-Medical Innovation / Health Practices of the Andaman and Nicobar Tribes

Shompens Nicobarese Sentinelese

OngesJarawas• Great

Andamese

Traditional Ethno Botanical and Ethno-Medical Knowledge the A&N Tribes is in the process of documentation.

Need to add their Traditional Innovational Practices or Knowledge into the National Traditional Knowledge Database i.e Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) on a continual basis

Recently, documentation of the ethno-medical practices of Nicobarese tribes has been undertaken by RMRC of ICMR in Carnicobar Island with the administration's support

The documented knowledge is now added into the TKDL

Documentation of the traditional ethno- medical knowledge and health practices of Nicobarese tribals of

Carnicobar Island

RMRC (Regional Medical Research Centre, Portblair) the operational wing of the ICMR has published a two volume knowledge register on the ethno-medical knowledge and health practices of Nicobarese this year.

The Traditional Healers/Traditional Knowledge Practitioners (TKP) were duly recognized and for the first time issued a Certificate of Recognition

In all 70 TKP were recognized and 300 medicinal plants of various families were documented in the Community Biodiversity Register in line with the Article 8(j) of the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)

This is a milestone achievement as it is for the first time the Traditional Knowledge is documented systematically. This Collective Knowledge Resource will be added into the National Traditional Knowledge Database I.e Traditional Knowledge Digital Library for preservation to posterity