Jarawa rape victim’s child leads confused life in heart of jungle
2 Dec 2013 6:51 AM IST
Completely different from her community, the baby was wheatish in complexion – much like babies in the main land. Over the years, time changed Horbotaley’s heart and she came to terms with her differently-complexioned baby.
However, the government has done little to find who fathered Horbotaley’s child, deep inside the jungles of Tirur in South Andaman. As per sources, the four-year-old boy leads a ‘confused’ life.
He can’t express his uncertainty at this tender age but spending days among ‘unfamiliar’ people often angers him. Since Horbotaley is a Jarawa, the ‘stone-age, uncivilised’ tribe of the archipelago and was raped by a ‘civilised’ man from the mainland, the government didn’t bother about her plight.
Horbotaley is not the only victim. There are other Jarawa women who have delivered babies with wheatish complexion but their condition never grabbed limelight.
Presence of national media in the archipelago and its awareness of the island continue to be negligible. The local administration, too, has kept the matter under wraps to avoid controversies.
When asked about the development, member of Parliament from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bishnu Pada Ray said, ‘This is an old case and I have raised this issue several times before the central government.’ When asked how many cases have been reported so far, he said, ‘There is no point in talking about this now.’
On the fate of boy born in the community, the MP said, ‘He is living with them.’ On being asked if the guilty has been booked, he refused to comment.
The shocking fact has now been brought to the fore and many feel that it is high time for the local administration to act tough against people who intrude into the Jarawa zone and exploit the inhabitants of the secluded region. Last month, about 10 people were arrested for illegally trespassing into the Jarawa reserve.
Known for their great hunting skills and accurate predictions of natural disasters, these tribal people are no longer untouched by rapidly increasing urbanisation. They have changed considerably over the last 100 years. Although they still stay inside the jungles of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Jarawas, who never used to interact with the mainland people, are now using cold creams, listening to music, sipping soft drinks and eating paan.
‘There is a need for an immediate measure to protect the Jarawa tradition and to limit the damage that has already been done,’ said a prominent social activist.
However, the government has done little to find who fathered Horbotaley’s child, deep inside the jungles of Tirur in South Andaman. As per sources, the four-year-old boy leads a ‘confused’ life.
He can’t express his uncertainty at this tender age but spending days among ‘unfamiliar’ people often angers him. Since Horbotaley is a Jarawa, the ‘stone-age, uncivilised’ tribe of the archipelago and was raped by a ‘civilised’ man from the mainland, the government didn’t bother about her plight.
Horbotaley is not the only victim. There are other Jarawa women who have delivered babies with wheatish complexion but their condition never grabbed limelight.
Presence of national media in the archipelago and its awareness of the island continue to be negligible. The local administration, too, has kept the matter under wraps to avoid controversies.
When asked about the development, member of Parliament from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bishnu Pada Ray said, ‘This is an old case and I have raised this issue several times before the central government.’ When asked how many cases have been reported so far, he said, ‘There is no point in talking about this now.’
On the fate of boy born in the community, the MP said, ‘He is living with them.’ On being asked if the guilty has been booked, he refused to comment.
The shocking fact has now been brought to the fore and many feel that it is high time for the local administration to act tough against people who intrude into the Jarawa zone and exploit the inhabitants of the secluded region. Last month, about 10 people were arrested for illegally trespassing into the Jarawa reserve.
Known for their great hunting skills and accurate predictions of natural disasters, these tribal people are no longer untouched by rapidly increasing urbanisation. They have changed considerably over the last 100 years. Although they still stay inside the jungles of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Jarawas, who never used to interact with the mainland people, are now using cold creams, listening to music, sipping soft drinks and eating paan.
‘There is a need for an immediate measure to protect the Jarawa tradition and to limit the damage that has already been done,’ said a prominent social activist.
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