Dilemma of Development: Among the Onge of Andaman

The Onge of Little Andaman, one of the surviving important Negrito com-munities in the world, have a very small static population since last four decades. There have been several critical issues pertaining to adopting the induced changes in their habitat and economy. The volume presents detailed documentation and indepth analysis of the situation and concerns related to their survival. The volume is the outcome of a prolonged field investigation and research presented in the form of analytical and development ethnography with eco-logical, socio-cultural, economic and political perspectives of a dwindling community listed under Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group of India. The Onge have ever been rather vulnerable toward any option for radical change, they deserve close, careful attention to ward off any untoward impact of change-initiatives. The authors, a team composed of an Anthropologist and a Human Ecologist, have tried to throw light on the degree of agreements between the induced change programmes and the peoples’ age-old survival strategy. The depth of the authors’ intimate interaction with the people, their ecology, cultural niche, psychology, economy, and in a way the livelihood as such, presents a flavour hitherto unknown. The volume is remarkably enriched with good number of rare photographs along with important maps, charts and illustrations. This work is an invaluable record for reviewing and revising process and outcome of the long continued welfare programme before further such appli-cation on the remaining groups in the archipelago. About the Author Dipali Danda (b. 1939) is former Superintending Anthropologist of the Anthro-pological Survey of India. She carried out intensive field investigations on several tribal communities in India and has contributed to many scholarly publications. Sumit Mukherjee (b. 1957) field-based researcher in the field of Human Ecology worked for three decades in the Anthropological Survey of India.