Pankaj Sekhsaria has had a deep, abiding interest in and a long involvement with the Andaman Islands, which is such a good thing because most of us know little about what goes on in these peripheral parts of the country (including the North-east). And what better way to interest the lay reader than setting a novel there, whose characters tell you the story of what has been brewing there through their lives.
Most of us know the Andamans for its aquamarine seas, tropical rainforests, exotic flora and fauna, the notorious Cellular Jail and, of course, the ‘dangerous’ and arrow-happy tribals, the Jarawas . Sekhsaria takes us to the islands with a small cast of core characters neatly representing nearly every ‘special interest’ group living and working there.
Thus, there’s Harish, trying to figure out what to do with his life and whether journalism suits him, Seema, a ‘natural born’ girl who has returned to her islands nursing heartbreak, David the avid crocodile researcher, Uncle Pame their ‘most local’ of guides, and of course Tanumei representing not only the Jarawas but the change that is happening to all of them.
There are always problems when tribal societies come in contact with what we call ‘modern’ ones, and these issues are highlighted in this book. Whose rights come first: Those of the tribals, who have been living on the islands for millennia, or those of the settlers from the mainland and the new generation of ‘natural borns’ — like Seema? Is building a road through tribal territories a good idea? How do you deal with the diseases (like measles) that ‘civilised’ man passes on to the tribals, who have no defence against them? Does anyone care about the rampant deforestation that takes place in these jungles and the decimation of its wildlife? The age-old question remains: should we interfere in (some say improve, others say destroy) the life of tribal societies? Which begs another: how and why did our own ancestors (who must once have been naked, ‘savage’ tribals too) change, so that we became what we are today? Should we just leave them be, let them remain ferociously protecting their forests, or should we try to ‘tame’ them — often by corrupting them through drink? Of course, we must remember that ‘civilised’ often does not mean morally, ethically or behaviourally superior — unfortunately, it usually means exploitative.
Sekhsaria takes us on a journey around the islands — partly by boat, partly overland, exploring and expounding these issues en route, through his characters. The novel slips into a ‘documentary mode’ (with back stories providing historical perspective), with the ‘author’s voice’ doing a lot of the explaining directly.
On a personal level, both Harish and Seema have baggage to clear: Harish is figuring out what to do with his life and Seema is trying to recover from heartbreak — and yes, something is surely brewing! What a marvellous set-up for a truly soppy romance, which would have added sparkle to the story but, alas, there’s not even a single lingering sunset kiss before the ‘last wave’ comes roaring in!
Read this book to realise how marginalised some of our own citizens have been made, how they’ve been exploited and are now being corrupted. The book could have done with tighter editing in places, but nevertheless it is quite an eye-opener and an education.
( Ranjit Lal, naturalist and author writes for children and adults)