The Land of the Naked People by Madhushree Mukerjee

It is always interesting to read about parts of India that are off the beaten track or places where our Government, in its infinite wisdom, prohibits us from visiting. One such place is the Andaman and Nicobar islands and The Land of the Naked People: Encounters with Stone Age Islanders by Madhushree Mukerjee (New Delhi: Penguin, 2003) is one such travelogue. However, Mukerjee is no tourist, ogling at bare-breasted savages and considering them to be quaint. She brings a scholar's perspective to her visit and exposes the neglect and duplicity to which these people have been subjected.

Whilst not concentrating upon the issue Mukerjee lays bare the machinations of the timber lobby and their exploitation of the islands, aided by a complacent Government. We also see how mass migration has marginalised and very nearly eradicated local cultures. Still further, we understand that it is for these very reasons that it is judicious to restrict access to these islands. Those of us who frequent wildlife sanctuaries on the mainland are all too familiar what restricted access can lead to. More often than not, the reasons for restricting access have ulterior motives. Reading The Land of the Naked People is depressing, for Mukherjee chronicles the persecution these people have been subjected to for centuries, but it is important that you read this book for it adds to one's awareness of India.