Statement by Independent Observers Kolkata

Critics in Kolkata rue over the recent seminar on Jarawa tribals conducted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, organised a seminar-cum-workshop for the purpose of drawing out a comprehensive policy for the Jarawas, Primitive Tribe in Andaman Group of Islands on April 7 & 8 at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata.

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The seminar was organised, supposedly in compliance of the Kolkata High Court Circuit Bench, Port Blair order of July 2001 in response to WP 48 of 1999 that was filed by a Port Blair based lawyer, Ms Shyamali Ganguly.

The seminar was organised in a manner that was clearly violative of the letter and spirit of the orders of the Honourable High Court, which had asked for open and detailed discussion with national and international participation and after public notices for the seminar were announced in widely read newspapers.

The seminar failed in dealing with the basic objectives before it and the mandate that was given to it by the Honourable High Court.

Organisation Of The Seminar

a) Official invitees to the seminar were limited to only 31 experts, of whom a majority were retired or serving government servants. A small minority of the invitees were independent experts and none were from NGOs or civil society organisations as desired by the Honourable Court.