Sentinelese : The Mysterious Tribe of the World
North Sentinel Island is a small island located about 50 kilometers west of the capital Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands group in the Bay of Bengal. Administratively, this island comes under the South Andaman district.About 8 kilometers long and 7 kilometers wide. Access to this island within a 5 nautical mile (approximately 9 km) radius is strictly prohibited without prior permission.
The indigenous tribe residing on this island is known as the Sentinelese tribe, known for their preference for solitude (being an isolated group). Over the course of about 250 years of known history, numerous attempts have been made to establish contact with the people of this tribe, but these efforts have always been met with violent resistance. Many individuals have risked their lives in these attempts, which led the Indian government to declare this region a restricted area to prevent further contact attempts without permission.
The first mention of the Sentinelese dates back to 1771 when British surveyor John Ritchie noted signs of human presence during his visit to the island. Later that year, an Indian merchant ship ran aground near the island, and surviving passengers were attacked by the Sentinelese, with the Indian navy later rescuing the remaining 106 passengers.
Nearly 110 years later, in 1880, Maurice Vidal Portman ventured to the island and managed to bring back an elderly couple and their four children to Port Blair. However, the elderly couple soon died, and the children fell ill, prompting their return to the island out of sympathy. Portman made several risky expeditions to the island between 1880 and 1887 in an effort to establish contact with the Sentinelese.
Following independence, the Indian government attempted contact between 1967 and 1975 without success. In 1977 and 1981, two separate ships faced accidents near the island, with the Sentinelese fashioning iron weapons and arrows from the wreckage, resulting in more aggressive encounters.
Between 1991 and 1997, under the direction of anthropologist Pandit Triloknath, several attempts were made to establish contact with the tribe. Remarkably, these attempts remained peaceful and friendly, with the Sentinelese accepting offered food and items without harming Pandit Triloknath or his team. However, after 1997, the Indian government discontinued these efforts due to the risk of loss of life and property.
In 2004, when helicopters from the Indian army arrived on the island to survey the damage caused by an earthquake and tsunami, the Sentinelese attacked them with arrows and stones. In 2006, two Indian fishermen accidentally reached the island and were killed.
In 2018, Christian missionary John Allen Chau visited the island for religious preaching and was killed and buried by the Sentinelese.
To date, no one has been able to understand the language of the Sentinelese, and their population estimate remains uncertain, with estimates ranging between 400 to 500 individuals. They have shown a strong aversion to contact with the outside world, leading the Indian government to impose a ban on visits to the island.
Despite technological advancements and space exploration, the Sentinelese tribe continues to live in a primitive Stone Age-like existence, unfamiliar with agriculture and living naked. All attempts to reach them have proven insufficient, and the government prefers not to force them into any particular way of life against their will.
(If you have any specific questions or need further information, feel free to ask!)
हमने विकास करके भी क्या कर लिया….सरकार इस जनजाति को प्राकृतिक रूप से जीने दे….इन्हे छेड़े नहीं…..पूरी धरती पर शायद प्राकृतिक रूप से जीने वाली यही जनजाति तो बची है