Shompen Tribe Faces Challenges Amid Development on Island

Why in the news?

The Shompen, an isolated tribe in Great Nicobar Island, confronts threats to their traditional lifestyle from a massive development project, though they made strides in political participation by voting in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Shompen Tribe Faces Challenges Amid Development on Island

About Shompen Tribe:

  • The Shompen are one of India’s most isolated Indigenous communities, residing in the dense rainforests of Great Nicobar Island.
  • They have preserved their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle, relying on the island’s rich biodiversity for sustenance.
  • With deep knowledge of their ecosystem, they have lived in harmony with nature for centuries.

Challenges Faced by the Shompen

  • The Great Nicobar Development Project proposes large-scale infrastructural changes, including the construction of a mega-port, an international airport, and other facilities.
  • Experts and activists have expressed concerns that such developments could disrupt the Shompen’s traditional way of life and endanger their survival.
  • The community faces external pressures that threaten both their environment and cultural practices.

Steps Towards Inclusion and Preservation

  • Despite external threats, the Shompen have made strides towards integration. Seven members of the tribe exercised their voting rights for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections, a historic move for their community.
  • Preserving their unique cultural heritage and ensuring the protection of their rights are essential for their future.
  • It is vital to balance development with the protection of Indigenous communities, ensuring their voices are heard and their traditions

What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

  • PVTGs Definition: Vulnerable tribal groups with primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, and negative population growth.
  • Key Features: Dependent on hunting, pre-agriculture technology, backwardness.
  • Current Statistics: 2.8 million PVTGs, 75 tribes across 22,544 villages in 220 districts.
  • Major States: Odisha (866,000), Madhya Pradesh (609,000), Andhra Pradesh/Telangana (539,000).
  • Source: 2011 Census data.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times