







































Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal 2 (1): 145–149, January 2019 

 
NOTES FROM THE FIELD  
 

Tides of Change in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 
 

Meera Anna Oommen  and Madhuri Ramesh   
 
1. LOCATING OUR ENGAGEMENT 

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) in the Bay of Bengal came to be 
a part of India via the colonial legacy of a penal settlement, but seldom 
figured – barring the Indian freedom struggle of 1857 – in the nation's 
collective consciousness. From Indian independence until the beginning of 
this millennium, the archipelago was a developmental backwater neglected 
by mainstream planning interventions. On the other hand, its ecological 
uniqueness has been recognized for long because this archipelago is 
encompassed within two global biodiversity hotspots: the Andamans form a 
part of the Indo-Burma hotspot and the Nicobars form the northwestern 
extremity of the Sundaland hotspot. Many conservation imperatives have 
emerged from the high levels of diversity and endemism seen here for many 
taxa. 

Furthermore, the islands encompass unique socio-ecological systems that 
are characterised not only by deep connections between people and nature, 
in the form of traditional resource use and management systems, but also 
by extensive interlinkages between marine, littoral and terrestrial systems. 
For example, the Andamans are home to indigenous islanders such as the 
Jarawa and the Sentinelese, whose societies are still perhaps among the last 
remaining representatives of hunter-gatherer cultures anywhere that survive 
on limited contact with outsiders. Similarly, the Shompen (on Great 

 
 Dakshin Foundation, 1818, 9th Cross, 5th Main Rd, B Block, CQAL Layout, Sahakar 

Nagar, Bengaluru, 560092; meera.anna@gmail.com.  

 Dakshin Foundation, 1818, 9th Cross, 5th Main Rd, B Block, CQAL Layout, Sahakar 
Nagar, Bengaluru, 560092; madhuri.ramesh@dakshin.org 

Copyright © Oommen and Ramesh 2019. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC 4.0) by the author.  

Published by Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE), c/o Institute of Economic 
Growth, University Enclave, North Campus, Delhi 110007.  

ISSN: 2581-6152 (print); 2581-6101 (web). 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v2i1.62  

https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v2i1.62


Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal [146] 

Nicobar) are forest-dwelling hunters and foragers, with a culture distinct 
from the coastal Nicobarese who practice horticulture, animal husbandry 
and maritime occupations. The Shompen have their own resource 
management systems and cultural practices that are tied to their long-
standing local ecological knowledge, which plays a significant role in the 
management of critical common pool resources (Singh 2006; Chandi 2018).  

However, a closer reading of the past also reveals a story of disruption and 
change. For example, the fate of the Onge and the Great Andamanese 
peoples — the latter having been reduced to a mere handful of surviving 
individuals—are evidence of destruction of traditional ways of life and the 
decimation of indigenous populations as a consequence of encounters with 
outsiders during colonial and contemporary times. In recent decades, 
increasing contact with outsiders has been instrumental in the breakdown 
of indigenous adaptive approaches to the management of natural resources. 
This is because settlers from the Indian mainland (including Bangladesh and 
Myanmar) have gradually come to form the largest part of the ANI 
demography. They are an extremely diverse group and their arrivals were 
triggered by different historical events, starting with the colonial penal 
settlement. Despite their oppositional positioning to the indigenous groups, 
the settler communities are vulnerable on account of their initial status as 
migrants, their continuing political marginalization, as well as their 
dependence on various natural resources for subsistence and commercial 
purposes. 

But now, in contrast to this complex history of neglect and displacement, 
these islands have suddenly been catapulted into the spotlight due to India’s 
interest in the emerging Indo-Pacific Great Game. There has been 
increased media focus on the strategic importance of these islands with 
respect to maritime trade and security, along with a strong political desire to 
convert this far-flung archipelago into “a prized piece of mid-ocean real 
estate” (e.g. Malik 2014). Recent development agendas such as those 
proposed by the NITI Aayog have also emphasized the expansion of 
sectors such as tourism and fisheries.  

As can be seen in the diversity of views expressed in academia and popular 
media, the response to these developments are largely rooted in the 
contrasting ideologies and backgrounds of different commentators 
(Oommen and Shanker 2012; Malik 2014; Rae 2015; Sekhsaria 2017), 
whereas the ground realities for local communities (both indigenous and 
settler) remain poorly articulated at this point. Moreover, calls to increase 
India's oceanic interests as well as the development of the islands' natural 
resources and tourism capabilities have, so far, paid scarce attention to the 
attendant challenges at the interface of society, economy and environment. 



[147] Meera Anna Oommen and Madhuri Ramesh 

While many of these challenges, such as the consequences of climate 
change, are similar to the challenges faced by small island developing states 
the world over, the putative impacts on the socio-ecological systems 
specific to ANI remain to be assessed. This includes the need for an 
evaluation of several public policies proposed with reference to tourism, 
fisheries and coastal urbanization - all with the aim of transforming this 
region into a network of ‘smart’ islands.  

 

2. INCOMING TIDE 

As mentioned earlier, at the forefront of these burgeoning changes is a set 
of factors related to tactical positioning and economic growth, both of 
which are exogenous to the region. For example, the central government 
has announced significant outlays in marine fisheries (ICAR 2014), port-led 
coastal development (Ministry of Shipping 2016), and tourism (NITI Aayog 
2018).  

While investments in tourism for the high-end sector is anticipated to usher 
in significant social and environmental changes ranging from cultural 
transitions to altered resource exploitation patterns, synergies between 
tourism development plans and landscape-level impacts are yet to be 
understood in detail. Tourism activities in earmarked indigenous spaces 
such as Little Andaman as well as the Nicobar group of islands are likely to 
be problematic in this regard because past studies have shown (Anderson et 
al. 2015; Venkateswar 2004) that a sudden exposure to ‘mainstreaming’ 
policies as well as an influx of outsiders has a debilitating effect on the well-
being of traditional societies and the natural resources their lives are closely 
connected to. Project proposals also need to pay attention to issues of 
equity and justice, which are often debatable in the case of high-end tourism 
interventions. On the other hand, such ‘opening up’ has benefitted some 
sections of the settler population. For instance, the tourism boom has 
attracted many informal service workers, including seasonal migrants, and 
associated infrastructure projects have provided steady employment to 
many. Keeping in mind the contingent nature of such outcomes, ANET 
and partner organisations have been involved in organising fine-grained 
workshops and awareness generation events to help local communities’ 
access opportunities while being mindful of sustainability and long-term 
ecological impacts. 

Similar to the mixed impacts of tourism, increased connectivity and market 
linkages may improve the status of fishing communities, who are another 
significant section of islanders. However, fisheries sustainability is likely to 
be a casualty unless large-scale plans such as long-lining and deep-sea 



Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal [148] 

fishing are well-regulated. We find that several boom and bust fisheries 
driven by sea-food export markets in nearby Southeast Asia offer important 
lessons for Indian conditions and need to be incorporated into policy and 
management (Jaini et al. 2017). We also recognize that local development 
interventions combined with large-scale threats such as climate change and 
seismic events can result in cumulative impacts that can be overwhelming. 
Hence, one of the emerging areas of research by ANET and its partners is 
the impact of climate change on coral reefs and associated fisheries. In the 
future, this work is poised to provide evidence-based inputs on long-term 
sustainability research and practice for the islands. 

 

3. POLICY ENGAGEMENT 

In our opinion, the inherent vulnerability of the islands’ socio-ecological 
systems calls for policy measures that are committed to long-term 
sustainability and take into account the perspectives of multiple 
stakeholders, including indigenous and settler communities. Therefore, one 
of our current goals at ANET is to actively seek inputs from the island 
administration as well as local traditional institutions of governance, so that 
on-ground challenges are recognised and addressed appropriately. A second 
goal is to improve integration of sectoral polices. For example, if 
ecotourism is expected to be one of the key developmental interventions in 
the islands, we believe that there needs to be a corresponding commitment 
to the maintenance of ecological integrity and promotion of eco-friendly 
practices. Hence, we participate in formal planning committees as well as 
facilitate community-based initiatives. We have also been instrumental in 
initiating discussions on natural resource management between multiple 
stakeholders such as the island administration, communities and 
commercial entities. Most recently, in partnership with WWF-India, ANET 
arranged a multi-stakeholder meeting with the representatives of NITI 
Aayog to discuss concerns specific to ANI and identify further steps for the 
region’s holistic development. Overall, given the complex interlinkages that 
characterise these unique islands, we would like to contribute to a policy 
environment that supports the aspirations of the settler communities over 
the long-term, including better integration with the mainland and other 
regions, but at the same time we would like to ensure due concern for the 
rights, livelihoods and spaces of indigenous inhabitants. In other words, our 
intention is to contribute to a development vision for ANI that 
acknowledges social and environmental sustainability as a central issue and 
thereby ushers in positive local as well as national outcomes.  

 



[149] Meera Anna Oommen and Madhuri Ramesh 

REFERENCES 

Anderson, C. et al. 2015. New Histories of the Andaman Islands. Cambridge: 
Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139924641 

Chandi, M. 2018. “Sharing pork and well-being.” Seminar Volume 702: 50-53.    

Jaini, M. et al. 2017. “History, culture, infrastructure and export markets shape 
fisheries and reef accessibility in India's contrasting oceanic islands.” Environmental 
Conservation 45 (1): 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1017/S037689291700042X 

Malik, A. 2014. “Our string of islands theory.” Hindustan Times, September 2, 2014.  
https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-view/our-string-of-islands-theory/story-
0L2UtxhEXfHrVT0eFglfYK.html  

ICAR. 2014. “Report of the expert committee constituted for comprehensive 
review of the deep sea fishing policy and guidelines.” New Delhi: Department of 
Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of 
India. 

Ministry of Shipping. 2016. “Sagarmala: Building gateways of growth.” New Delhi: 
National Perspective Plan, Ministry of Shipping.  

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare. 2017. “National policy on marine 
fisheries.” Gazette Notification F. No. 21001/05/2014-FY dated April 28, 2017.  

NITI-Aayog. 2018. “Incredible islands of India.” Keynote presentation. 
http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/IslandsDev.pdf  

Oommen, M.A., and K. Shanker. 2012. “Islands in peril: develop and perish?” The 
Hindu, February 18, 2012.  

Rae, V. 2015. “The Andaman and Nicobar islands punch grossly below their 
weight.” India Today, May 4, 2015.  
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20150504-andaman-and-
nicobar-islands-narendra-modi-seychelles-mauritius-818229-2015-04-23  

Sekhsaria, P. 2018. “The Andaman and Nicobar islands are not an ‘empty space’.” 
Ecology, Economy and Society- the INSEE Journal 1 (1): 91-95. 
https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v1i1.22  

Singh, S.J. 2006. The Nicobar Islands: Cultural Choices in the Aftermath of the Tsunami. 
Vienna: Czernin Verlag. 

Venkateswar, S. 2004. “Development and Ethnocide: Colonial Practices in the 
Andaman Islands.” International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, Denmark. 

 

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139924641
https://doi.org/10.1017/S037689291700042X
https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-view/our-string-of-islands-theory/story-0L2UtxhEXfHrVT0eFglfYK.html
https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-view/our-string-of-islands-theory/story-0L2UtxhEXfHrVT0eFglfYK.html
http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/IslandsDev.pdf
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20150504-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-narendra-modi-seychelles-mauritius-818229-2015-04-23
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20150504-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-narendra-modi-seychelles-mauritius-818229-2015-04-23
https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v1i1.22

