Scholar says autonomy is vital for isolated island tribes in India
Isolated and contacted Indigenous tribes in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands face pressure from illegal fishing, large development projects and government welfare policies, according to former research scholar Manish Chandi. Chandi, who has spent decades working with tribal communities in the region, says policies that weaken self-sufficiency add to the threats confronting them.
Isolated and contacted Indigenous tribes in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands face several threats, according to Manish Chandi, a former research scholar who has spent decades working with tribal communities in the region.
Chandi identified illegal fishing and mega-development projects among the pressures affecting the communities. The source record does not provide details about specific fishing activity, projects, locations within the islands or their current status.
He also said misinformed government welfare policies can undermine the tribes’ self-sufficiency. The source does not specify which policies he was referring to or describe their effects on individual communities.
Chandi worked with tribal communities while affiliated with an organization that is not identified in the supplied record. He argues that greater autonomy is needed, but the source does not provide details of proposed measures, government responses or confirmed next steps.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
Who has the authority to define and protect autonomy for the affected communities?
How are development decisions weighing the communities’ own stated priorities?
What evidence is being used to judge whether welfare policies strengthen or weaken self-sufficiency?
What incentives could sustain illegal fishing in the islands despite existing protections?
How might the consequences differ between isolated tribes and communities that have already been contacted?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026