Insta
The American missionary John Allen Chau. (pic via Twitter)
Anthropologists, writers and international activists have come together to demand that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands’ administration halt its efforts to recover the body of slain American missionary, John Allen Chau, from the North Sentinel Island, reports The New Indian Express. They’ve called for the Sentinelese to be left alone so as to avoid any further harm to the isolated community.
A joint statement was issued by a number of authors and anthropologists, including Pankaj Sekhsaria, member of Environmentalist NGO Kalpavriksh and author of ‘Islands in Flux – the Andaman and Nicobar Story’; Vishvajit Pandya, anthropologist and author; Manish Chandi, senior researcher; Denis Giles editor of the Andaman Chronicle, among other notable names, expressing their concern and worry over continued rescue efforts.
“The rights and the desires of the Sentinelese need to be respected and nothing is to be achieved by escalating the conflict and tension, and worse, to creating a situation where more harm is caused,” said the statement.
Survival International, an international human rights NGO, also attempted to dissuade the administration from pursuing the rescue efforts. Its director, Stephen Corry, urged authorities to abandon its rescue operation, warning that such an attempt could further threaten the Sentinelese by the introduction of diseases, while simultaneously putting the lives of officials in danger.
The NGO also asked for Indian authorities to revoke the diluting of restrictions on visiting the North Sentinel Island, and also for the exclusion zone surrounding the island to be enforced properly.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest