Context: Recently, Anthropological Survey of India policy document warns of threat to endangered group from commercial activity.

• The policy document comes almost two years after American national John Allen Chau was allegedly killed by the Sentinelese on the Island.
• The Sentinelese, a most secluded, is a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) who reside in complete isolation on the island.

Key observations

• Any exploitation of the North Sentinel Island of the Andamans for commercial and strategic gain would spell the death knell for its occupants.
• The “right of the people to the island is non-negotiable”.
• Build a knowledge bank on the Sentinelese.
• Since ‘on-the-spot study’ is not possible for the tribal community, anthropologists suggest the ‘study of a culture from distance’.

Who are sentinelese?

• Sentinelese, with a population of about 50 to 100 on the North Sentinel Island, are not only among the most isolated of the 75 PVTGs across the country, but also among the five in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which include Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, and Shompens.

Steps taken to ensure the protection of Sentinelese

• The entire North Sentinel Island along with 5 km coastal sea from high water mark is notified as tribal reserve.
• The Government respects their way of life style, therefore, has adopted an ‘eyes-on and hands-off’ practice to protect and safeguard the Sentinelese tribe.
• A protocol of circumnavigation of the North Sentinel Island has been notified. The ships and aircrafts of Coast Guard and boats of Marine Police make sorties around North Sentinel to keep surveillance.

They have been protected under

• A &N Islands (PAT) Regulation 1956.
• Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• Restrictions under Foreigner (Restricted Area) Orders, 1963.
• Visa Manual Conditions/Passport Act 1920, Indian Forest Act, 1927 and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Why are they said to be vulnerable?

• It is said they have made little to no advancement in the over 60,000 years and still live very primitive lives, surviving mainly on fish and coconuts.
• They are very vulnerable to germs since they have not had contact with the outside world. Even a common flu virus carried by a visitor could wipe out the entire tribe.
• Since the 1960s, there have been a handful of efforts to reach out to the tribe but all have largely failed. They have repeatedly, aggressively made it clear that they want to be isolated.

What are  Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

• In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups.
• In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• PVTGs have some basic characteristics -they are mostly homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically isolated, social institutes cast in a simple mould, absence of written language, relatively simple technology and a slower rate of change etc.