Study Sheds Light on the Origins of the Nicobarese People

Syllabus: GS1/Geography

Context

• New study decodes when the Nicobarese people came to the island.

About

• Scientists believed the Austroasiatic ancestors of the Nicobarese community migrated to the island more than 11,000 years ago.
  • The new study showed that they arrived at the island around 5,000 years ago.
• Due to its geographical isolation, the ancient Nicobarese tribe has preserved its genetic identity without significant admixture with different populations.
  • By comparing the differences in mutations between the genetic ancestors and the migrated populations, the scientists were able to trace their time of arrival at the Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the largest archipelago system in the Bay of Bengal. 
• It extends over an area of 8249 Sq. km comprising 572 islands of which 37 are inhabited.
• The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands are separated by the Ten Degree Channel, which is around 150 km wide. 
  • Though they’re close to each other, the peoples of the two islands have significantly different physical features, which also differ from those of the people of mainland India.
• The Island groups have been the home of aboriginal tribes, namely, the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Onge & Sentineles, all of Negrito Origin in the Andaman group of Islands.
  • The tribes in the Nicobar Islands are the Nicobarese and the Shompen.

Political Background of Nicobar

• Post Independence: The Government was keen to protect the interests of the Nicobarese and did not allow outside traders to exploit the people. 
  • The regulation for the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes came into force in 1956 under which entry to the Nicobar Islands was strictly restricted. 
• In the late 1960s 330 ex-defence presonnel were settled in some de-reserved areas of Great Nicobar island, where the Panchayat System exists at present. 
• On 1st August, 1974, Nicobar group of islands was declared a separate district with its headquarters at Car Nicobar, where half of the population exists.
  • Except three Panchayats and one Panchayat Samiti in Great Nicobar, the rest of the District has its own local traditional Tribal Councils.

Source: TH