“It is Their Call, Not Ours to Decide How Much Interaction We Want With the Sentinelese.”

On November 17, 2018, John Allen Chau, a self proclaimed missionary from the United States was killed by the Sentinelese, the indigenous residents of the North Sentinel Island, which lies about 55kms west of Port Blair. The incident drew attention to the Sentinelese, who are one of the last remaining uncontacted tribes in the world. Recently, the Restricted Area Permit (RAP), earlier required to visit the island, was removed by the Indian government to promote tourism in the Andaman Islands. D Raghunandan of the Delhi Science Forum, speaks to Ishita Mehta of the Indian Cultural Forum, addressing this decision and its possible repercussions, the need to preserve the culture of rare tribes like the Sentinelese, the scientific and anthropological infiltration of their spaces, and more.