SURVIVAL
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The British put the Great Andamanese tribes in a “home” to bring them “progress.” All 150 babies born there in the 1860s died; 99% of the tribe perished. Today, 51 survivors rely on handouts; tuberculosis is rife; most men are alcoholics. Another Andaman Islands tribe, the Jarawa, remain largely isolated and self-sufficient. They are still very healthy, but are vulnerable to new diseases to which they have little imunity. Their survival is threatened by a road which cuts through their land, and from poachers stealing their game. The Indian Supreme Court has ordered the road closed, but it remains open. Hundreds of tourists travel through the Jarawa’s land every day, treating the tribe as though they are animals in a safari park.
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