The Andaman and Nicobar islands are one of India’s key assets both in terms of strategic location and natural bounties. So far, we have endeavoured to preserve the islands through a policy of protectionism that is articulated through environmental restrictions and regulation of their societal and economic affairs. This policy has worked well to preserve the pristine nature of the islands as well as its avowedly nationalist citizens in a state of equilibrium. However, times have changed, and in step with the rest of the country, people of the islands now aspire to benefit from the government’s development initiatives.
The islands, being located close to South-East Asia, have the potential to strengthen India’s Look East-Act East policy. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands constitute just 0.2 per cent of India’s landmass but account for 30 per cent of the country’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The past decade has seen the arrival of new technologies which make it possible to harmonise progress with nature. This period also witnessed the rising geo-strategic importance of the islands. All-round progress of the islands is, therefore, a desirable goal.
I have travelled extensively all over the islands, visiting even the remotest areas. In my understanding, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have four centres of gravity: the strategic nature of the islands, the people and their aspirations, the environment, and the original inhabitants, particularly the vulnerable tribes. If all these four centres are in harmony, nobody can stop the islands’ progress. So, let’s examine each of these aspects, their current status, and desirable future.
The Andaman and Nicobar islands, which stretch over 750 km in the Bay of Bengal, give India a tremendous reach. They give India a commanding position over the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) and the considerable traffic that flows to and fro between the Indian and Pacific Oceans through the Malacca Strait.