19 members of Jarawa Tribe included in electoral roll for first time

For the first time in the history of India's election process, 19 members from Jarawa Tribe in Andaman and Nicobar Islands had been included on the electoral roll of the special summary revision-2025 on Friday.

According to the SDM of South Andaman, Vinayak Chamadia, the inclusion of 19 Jarawas of the Jarawa Tribe was done under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme. He added that the special revision would take place until November 28.

Chamadia said the Jarawas were included in the electoral roll under the leadership of Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Keshav Chandra and District Election Officer (DC) of South Andaman Arjun Sharma, marking their first ever participation in the election process. The special revision took place at their hamlet in Jirkatang, the SDM added.

He also stressed the population of Jarawas in the islands and the efforts of the administration to include as many as possible in the election process. The Jarawas are inhabitants of the western coast of Middle Andaman and the South Andaman Islands. The first friendly contact with the tribe was made in 1974 and since then the Jarawas have become non-hostile to the contact team, which goes with gifts like coconuts, bananas and other fruits. Jarawas continue to be hunting and gathering nomadic tribes. They hunt wild pigs and monitor lizards with bows and arrows. The tips of the arrow are made of iron.

Unlike Onges and Andamanese, Jarawas do not use dogs for hunting. Men fish with bows and arrows in the coastal waters, while women catch fish with baskets. Molluscus constitutes a major part of their Pisces food. Jarawas collect fruits and roots, including honey, from the forest. They build temporary huts in their camps. They use crude rafts to cross creeks and streams. The population of Jarawas is 240 as per the census of 2001.