The North Sentinel Island
Publicado em 09-10-2023
Indeed,it is one of the last inhabited places, completely secluded from the rest ofthe world, and deemed impossible to visit without potentially paying with one'slife. Consequently, India, the custodian of this remote jewel known as NorthSentinel Island in the Andaman Islands within the Bay of Bengal and the IndianOcean, has firmly prohibited any form of visitation or disturbance. While itsgeographical proximity suggests it could belong to Indonesia, Thailand, orBurma, it came under the jurisdiction of India after transitioning from Britishcolonial rule. Meanwhile, its sister island, South Sentinel, in the sameAndaman archipelago, remains open to visitors. However, the paradisiacal andtropical allure of North Sentinel is best explored.
Thisisland spans 59.67 square kilometres, forming an almost perfect square with amaximum length of 7.8 kilometres and a width of 7 kilometres. Its perimeterextends to 31.6 kilometres, and its highest peak rises to 98 meters. Lackingarchaeological evidence and on-site studies, it is speculated that this islandmay have been inhabited for up to 60,000 years, although certainties remainelusive. Its inhabitants, the Sentinelese, likely share ancestral ties withother indigenous groups in the Andaman archipelago. However, virtually nothing abouttheir religion, language, social organisation, or interpersonal dynamics isknown. Due to the inherent risks of visiting the island, despite some pastattempts, often resulting in no return or insufficient data, even the Indianadministration has classified it as a strict "no visit" zone.
Interms of historical records, there are claims by history enthusiasts andself-taught individuals that Marco Polo may have passed through the AndamanIslands, possibly even the North Sentinel, in 1292 during his return journey toVenice from China. However, historical evidence suggests he did not set foot onthis island and might have referred to another archipelago further south, theNicobar Archipelago. Even though he labelled these islands in his memoirs asthe "land of headhunters," it remains uncertain whether he evervisited North Sentinel. The origin of the island's name, resembling the word"sentinel," remains shrouded in mystery, consistent with theenigmatic nature of its inhabitants.
NorthSentinel casts a shadow over the history of the Andaman Islands. Nonetheless,until the 18th century, there is no concrete historical evidence of significantinterest, visits by explorers, or maritime expeditions. In 1607, a French travellernamed Peyraud ventured through the Andamans, and later, the islands became partof "Danish India" in 1754, eventually passing into British hands in1789 as they sought a remote destination for political and ordinary criminalprisoners. During the Second World War, the archipelago was occupied byJapanese forces, making it one of the few areas in British India under Japanesecontrol. After the war, the islands reverted to British authority and becamepart of the newly independent India in 1947. Presently, the Andaman and NicobarIslands hold significant geostrategic importance, guarding the Strait ofMalacca and serving as a critical nexus for the Asia-Pacific region, amongother geopolitical factors.
Inthe 19th century, the English made tentative efforts to dominate the island,but their success remains dubious, as they never set foot on it. They attemptedto relocate some Onge, another indigenous community in the Andamans, who hadreferences to North Sentinel Island in their culture, referred to as "ChiadaaKwokweyeh." The Onge community may share significant culturalsimilarities with the Sentinelese. However, the Onge brought to North Sentinelby the British in the 19th century vanished from historical records, their fateremaining unknown.
Englishrecords indicate intentions to visit in 1771 by British surveyor John Ritchie,who reported observing "many lights" from the East India Company'shydrographic research ship, the "Diligent," although he did not makelandfall. In March 1867, Jeremiah Homfray, an English administrator, attempteda voyage to the island but only noted seeing naked islanders fishing with bowsand arrows, possibly the "Jarawas" as informed by the Andamanese.However, the most significant incident occurred in the same year when theEnglish merchant ship "Nineveh" sank near the island. The 106survivors repelled an attack by the Sentinelese and were later rescued by aRoyal Navy team. Subsequently, an English colonial administrator, Maurice VidalPortman embarked on an expedition in January 1880 to research the nativepopulation and their customs. His group encountered trails and abandoned huts,eventually kidnapping six Sentinelese islanders, an elderly couple, and fourchildren. These individuals were taken to Port Blair, the largest city in theAndaman and Nicobar Islands. Tragically, the entire group fell ill, and theelderly couple perished, prompting the return of the four children to theirhomeland with various gifts. Portman visited the island several times betweenJanuary 1885 and January 1887, although interactions with the island'spopulation appear minimal.
After1967, the Indian government tried to establish friendly relations with theSentinelese, proving futile. Notably, Leopold III of Belgium visited the island'swaters at night during a trip to the Andamans. There were two shipwrecks, onein 1977 involving the cargo ship MV Rusley and another in 1981 involving the MVPrimrose. Indigenous individuals seemingly attempted to salvage iron from thewreckage, possibly for crafting spearheads and arrowheads, according to Indianreports in 1991. In January 2006, Sunder Raj and Pandit Tiwari, two Indianfishermen fishing illegally in restricted waters, met their demise at the handsof the Sentinelese when their boat ventured too close to the island. No legalaction was taken in response. Finally, the most widely publicised incidentinvolved John Allen Chau, a 27-year-old American evangelical missionary, whosought to disembark on the island but was surrounded and killed by theSentinelese on November 16, 2018, while attempting direct interaction with theisland's inhabitants. After a failed initial attempt two days earlier, Chaubribed fishermen to transport him near North Sentinel Island. He continued hisjourney alone using a canoe, only to be met with a hail of arrows upon landing.Witnesses reported that he persisted in walking despite the attack, and theislanders eventually tied a rope around his neck and dragged his lifeless bodyinto the jungle. The fishermen, who had taken him there and remained offshore,returned the following day to find Chau's dead body abandoned on the beach.Chau had reportedly aimed to evangelise the Sentinels.
Insummary, the Sentinelese population, believed to number no more than 500individuals today, endured a significant loss in the 2004 tsunami, which causedwidespread devastation in the region. They may be descendants of ancient Africanmigrations and are thought to have limited immunity due to their prolongedisolation. As hunter-gatherers, they are fiercely protective of theirterritory, as demonstrated when an Indian helicopter was targeted with arrowswhile flying over the island following the 2004 tsunami. Consequently, bothtourism and scientific exploration on the island are strictly prohibited due tothe inherent risks of death, as exemplified by the tragic case of missionaryChau. While more details could be shared, this provides a concise and summarisedaccount of one of the world's most isolated populations in the 21st century.
Map: © CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED Creative Commons
Pictures:Sentinelese in “Colombo Telegraph” and © Photo Source: oxfordjournals.org (outdoor)
COMENTÁRIOS
Historiador, professor, investigador e autor, além de consultor e colaborador em publicações periódicas regulares.
