Beginning of tourist season
Every year, the month of October marks the beginning of tourist season in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The next month marks hectic activity with every mechanism, organisation related to tourism become super active to reap the maximum benefits of tourist season and also to catch the early birds. While October to February is believed to be the peak tourist season, September is considered more like a warm up season for local tour operators ahead of hectic five months.
Domicile demand gains momentum
Although the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are actually demanding Inner Line Permit, the leaders of ruling BJP are playing safe by demanding only ‘domicile’ not ‘Inner Line Permit’. Within a fortnight of Joint Action Forum’s massive Bandh in Andaman, BJP unit president Vishal Jolly has met the Home Minister at New Delhi and demanded domicile for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Now, local MP Bishnu Panda Ray has submitted a memorandum to the Home Ministers Advisory Council Meeting, in which domicile demand has got prominence. BJP leaders are not only demanding domicile for Andaman but also demanding 100 per cent reservation for islanders.
Airtel DTH signal brings smiles
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are always out of coverage area of all private DTH services. Due to absence of the private DTH services, local residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands were solely dependent on local cable operators. Very recently some parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands got signals of TATA Sky. But due to issues with automatic set top box update, TATA Sky also failed to satisfy the people. But now some Islanders have successfully installed Airtel DTH with the help of full size dish. The news is now getting a huge prominence in Andaman social media. This news has now brought smiles for Islanders, who hope to enjoy full service of private DTH service for the first time in remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Sharing love
The stupendous efforts of a small group in these tiny little islands have brought a positive hope among thousands of families in Andaman who live Below Poverty Line. HumaneTouch, a small group of highly motivated youths of South Andaman region, is organising #ClothShare programme at remote locations on a regular basis. Volunteers and well-wishers donate clothes which are distributed among those families who can’t afford to buy clothes. The programme is getting a huge response, in which the Humane Touch is not only sharing cloth but also countless good wishes.
Sanjib Kumar Roy
Our correspondent in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
laurelsforsanjib@gmail.com