PORT BLAIR: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lt Governor, Bhopinder Singh has ordered an inquiry into the death of eight Onge tribesmen, who were found dead after consuming some toxic liquid. The Lt Governor visited the Onge settlement in Dugong Creek in Little Andaman Islands on Wednesday and had taken firsthand information on the death of the tribesmen.
The Andamans and Nicobar Administration had sent the liquid in brown-glassed bottled that was on the seashore for chemical analy sis.
“Till now we have not received the chemical report of the liquid,” Dr N Sadasivan, Andaman Health Department Director told Express at Port Blair.
After returning to Port Blair, the Governor visited G B Pant Hospital and interacted with other 15 Onge patients who are recovering. He directed the concerned authorities to ensure safety of all the tribals in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands to avoid such incidents.
Later, in the meeting under the Governor’s chairmanship at Raj Niwas, various issues regarding the welfare and measures to protect the primitive tribal population from such incidents were discussed.
The Onge numbered just 100 before recent incident.
They numbered about 670 in 1900, following the British occupation of the Islands in 19th, when they were destroyed.
“They now face the prospect of losing around 10 per cent of their surviving population in one go. Before this blow, their numbers had been stable for several decades,” said Survival International, a London-based organisation, working tribal rights across world, in its bulletin on Thursday.
According to Survival, although the Onge can hunt and fish, many depend on rations from the administration, and some have become dependent on alcohol. By contrast the two more isolated tribes of the islands, the Jarawa and Sentinelese, are still self-sufficient.
Stephen Corry, Survival International’s director said, “This is a calamity for the Onge. If any more die, it co uld put the survival of the entire tribe in serious danger.”