#nicobar islands

[no-passaran]

Genocide experts warn that India is about to genocide the Shompen people

Who are the Shompen?

The Shompen are an indigenous culture that lives in the Great Nicobar Island, which is nowadays owned by India. The Shompen and their ancestors are believed to have been living in this island for around 10,000 years. Like other tribes in the nearby islands, the Shompen are isolated from the rest of the world, as they chose to be left alone, with the exception of a few members who occasionally take part in exchanges with foreigners and go on quarantine before returning to their tribe. There are between 100 and 400 Shompen people, who are hunter-gatherers and nomadic agricultors and rely on their island's rainforest for survival.

Why is there risk of genocide?

India has announced a huge construction mega-project that will completely change the Great Nicobar Island to turn it into "the Hong Kong of India".

Nowadays, the island has 8,500 inhabitants, and over 95% of its surface is made up of national parks, protected forests and tribal reserve areas. Much of the island is covered by the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, described by UNESCO as covering “unique and threatened tropical evergreen forest ecosystems. It is home to very rich ecosystems, including 650 species of angiosperms, ferns, gymnosperms, and bryophytes, among others. In terms of fauna, there are over 1800 species, some of which are endemic to this area. It has one of the best-preserved tropical rain forests in the world.”

The Indian project aims to destroy this natural environment to create an international shipping terminal with the capacity to handle 14.2 million TEUs (unit of cargo capacity), an international airport that will handle a peak hour traffic of 4,000 passengers and that will be used as a joint civilian-military airport under the control of the Indian Navy, a gas and solar power plant, a military base, an industrial park, and townships aimed at bringing in tourism, including commercial, industrial and residential zones as well as other tourism-related activities.

This project means the destruction of the island's pristine rainforests, as it involves cutting down over 852,000 trees and endangers the local fauna such as leatherback turtles, saltwater crocodiles, Nicobar crab-eating macaque and migratory birds. The erosion resulting from deforestation will be huge in this highly-seismic area. Experts also warn about the effects that this project will have on local flora and fauna as a result of pollution from the terminal project, coastal surface runoff, ballasts from ships, physical collisions with ships, coastal construction, oil spills, etc.

The indigenous people are not only affected because their environment and food source will be destroyed. On top of this, the demographic change will be a catastrophe for them. After the creation of this project, the Great Nicobar Island -which now has 8,500 inhabitants- will receive a population of 650,000 settlers. Remember that the Shompen and Nicobarese people who live on this island are isolated, which means they do not have an immune system that can resist outsider illnesses. Academics believe they could die of disease if they come in contact with outsiders (think of the arrival of Europeans to the Americas after Christopher Columbus and the way that common European illnesses were lethal for indigenous Americans with no immunization against them).

And on top of all of this, the project might destroy the environment and the indigenous people just to turn out to be useless and sooner or later be abandoned. The naturalist Uday Mondal explains that “after all the destruction, the financial viability of the project remains questionable as all the construction material will have to be shipped to this remote island and it will have to compete with already well-established ports.” However, this project is important to India because they want to use the island as a military and commercial post to stop China's expansion in the region, since the Nicobar islands are located on one of the world's busiest sea routes.

Last year, 70 former government officials and ambassadors wrote to the Indian president saying the project would “virtually destroy the unique ecology of this island and the habitat of vulnerable tribal groups”. India's response has been to say that the indigenous tribes will be relocated "if needed", but that doesn't solve the problem. As a spokesperson for human rights group Survival International said: “The Shompen are nomadic and have clearly defined territories. Four of their semi-permanent settlements are set to be directly devastated by the project, along with their southern hunting and foraging territories. The Shompen will undoubtedly try to move away from the area destroyed, but there will be little space for them to go. To avoid a genocide, this deadly mega-project must be scrapped.”

On 7 February 2024, 39 scholars from 13 countries published an open letter to the Indian president warning that “If the project goes ahead, even in a limited form, we believe it will be a death sentence for the Shompen, tantamount to the international crime of genocide.”

How to help

The NGO Survival International has launched this campaign:

From this site, you just need to add your name and email and you will send an email to India's Tribal Affairs Minister and to the companies currently vying to build the first stage of the project.

Share it with your friends and acquittances and on social media.

Sources:

India’s plan for untouched Nicobar isles will be ‘death sentence’ for isolated tribe, 7 Feb 2024. The Guardian.

‘It will destroy them’: Indian mega-development could cause ‘genocide’ and ‘ecocide’, says charity, 8 Feb 2024. Geographical.

Genocide experts call on India's government to scrap the Great Nicobar mega-project, Feb 2024. Survival International.

The container terminal that could sink the Great Nicobar Island, 20 July 2022. Mongabay.

[Maps] Environmental path cleared for Great Nicobar mega project, 10 Oct 2022. Mongabay.

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[skyprowler]

A spokesperson for human rights group Survival International said: “The Shompen are nomadic and have clearly defined territories. Four of their semi-permanent settlements are set to be directly devastated by the project, along with their southern hunting and foraging territories.

“The Shompen will undoubtedly try to move away from the area destroyed, but there will be little space for them to go. To avoid a genocide, this deadly mega-project must be scrapped.”

The $9bn (£7bn) port project, planned to transform the Indian Ocean island of 8,000 inhabitants into what has been called the “Hong Kong of India”, includes the construction of an international shipping terminal, airport, power plant, military base and industrial park. It will also develop tourism

#indigenous #indigenous rights #nicobar islands #india #news #shameful #human rights #construction #environment #shompen people

[alittleguyaday]

A Little Guy from India!

Little Guy Rating: 7/10 slightly threatening gnome vibes

Notes: can get things from high shelves for you. maybe when you don't want them to.

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[thebeetalks]

#trekking #Romantic Trip #Manali #Lovers Paradise #Moonland #honeymoon #beaches #Nicobar Islands #Andaman #Alleppey

[theblissbox]

Episode 4 of the Andaman Vlog is LIVE now!we reached #neilisland and explored the magical sunset of #laxmanpurbeach. We also went for a glass boat ride at the #bharatpurbeach and caught the sunrise at #sitapurbeach!

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[gwydionmisha]

#Shompen #Genocide #Great Nicobar Island #India

[lizardsaredinosaurs]

How dare you call me diminutive - I am Great!!

Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornis klossi)

Great Nicobar Island, India

Status: Near Threatened

Threats: habitat loss

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He's the world's smallest eagle at 16in / 35cm in height. Shh... but don't say that in front of him.

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[reachingworldlive]

Best Resorts and Attractions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

#Andaman and Nicobar Islands #Attractions #Resorts #Travel #Travel Destination

[irctcofficial]

Take a break from the coldness of winter in the tropical Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the Andaman Delights Ex-Guwahati (EGA018) tour starting on 30th January 2024.

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[andamantravelcare]

Best Tour in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Experience the mesmerizing Andaman and Nicobar Islands with our carefully crafted tour packages. Enjoy pristine beaches, cultural exploration, and thrilling water sports. As the top travel agency, we ensure an unforgettable journey optimized for search engines. Discover Radhanagar Beach, dive into Havelock Island's underwater wonders, and explore Port Blair's historic Cellular Jail. Book your dream vacation today for a lifetime of memories.

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[theandamanartist]

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[no-passaran]

Do you have 1 minute? Add your name, surname and email to send a pre-written email to India's Tribal Affairs Minister, other Indian government ministers, and the companies vying to build the project:

#shompen #great nicobar island #indigenous #india #genocide #stop genocide #andaman and nicobar islands #asia #human rights #💬 #stateless nations #indigenous rights #land back

[vasltravels]

The Andaman Islands are an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. These roughly 300 islands are known for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, mangroves and tropical rainforests. Coral reefs supporting marine life such as sharks and rays make for popular diving and snorkeling sites. Indigenous. . . . . DM us for any travel query. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #india #incredibleindia #tourismofindia #indiatourism #tourism #island #beach #andamanandnicobar #andaman #nicobar #portblair #vacation #travel #touristattraction #destination #tour #trip #mustvisit #visitindia #explore #experience #bluewater #bayofbengal #flight #hotel #tourpackage #travelagency #vasltravels (at Andaman & Nicobar Islands) https://www.instagram.com/p/ConUfMoyNcG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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[journyempire]

#Andaman and Nicobar Islands Package

[tramptravellercom]

Port Blair View - The Andaman and Nicobar Islands - India.

The capital city of the Andaman Islands, Port Blair is your entryway to the rich expanse of Beauty and Serenity that the Islands have to offer. Diving, snorkeling and glass-bottom boat trips provide views of rare corals and marine life. On shore, family-friendly Gandhi Park offers amusement rides and a nature trail. Further adding to the intrigue are 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries, nine National Parks and one Biosphere Reserve that makes this place even more appealing.The Andaman Islands are home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted people. The Sentinelese are the only people currently known to not have reached further than a Paleolithic level of technology. The earliest archaeological evidence documents some 2,200 years. The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds.

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[tour-travel-world]

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 👇 By booking, tour packages for Andaman and Nicobar Islands🏄‍♂️ tourists can explore all the amazing facts related to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬🌴: 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖠𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖭𝗂𝖼𝗈𝖻𝖺𝗋 𝖨𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗍𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍. 𝖧𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗌 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾- ☆Katchal Island ☆The largest sea turtles nest in these islands ☆The most isolated paleolithic tribes reside in North Sentinel Island ☆The name Andaman and Nicobar are derived from the most ancient language (Malay) ☆Andamanese or Nicobarese are not the most widely spoken language on the islands ☆Visitors can see the rare and gentle sea cow (Dugong) here ☆A rare fruit (Pandanus or Nicobar Breadfruit) is found and widely eaten in Nicobar ☆Commercial fishing is not allowed or illegal in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands ☆Visitors can visit the Barren Island here (the only active volcano in India ☆Birgus Latro or Robber crab, the largest living arthropod in the world resides here 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐬🌴 : https://www.tourtravelworld.com/blog/hidden-facts-about-andaman-and-nicobar-islands.htm

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