Empowering Indigenous Guardians: A Call for Justice
GS PAPER 3
ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION
- Indigenous Stewardship: Indigenous communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have historically acted as guardians of their ancestral lands, managing resources sustainably based on traditional beliefs and practices.
- Conservation Colonialism: Despite indigenous land ownership and management systems, the A&N administration unilaterally declared wildlife sanctuaries on islands inhabited by indigenous peoples, without consultation or consent.
- Disregard for Indigenous Rights: The administration's actions ignored the traditional rights of the southern Nicobarese people, violating their autonomy and authority over their territories.
- Ecological Concerns: The designation of sanctuaries seemed arbitrary and aimed at masking the impending environmental disaster caused by a mega-project, which threatens biodiversity and indigenous livelihoods.
- Global Pattern of Injustice: This situation reflects a global trend where governments prioritize development and conservation over indigenous rights, leading to displacement and exploitation of indigenous communities.
- Call for Empowerment: Acknowledging indigenous peoples as the original stewards of the earth, there is a plea to support and empower them in managing their ancestral territories rather than disenfranchising them for the benefit of external interests.