A Road to Extinction: Can Palaeolithic Africans Survive in the Andaman Islands?
£13.95
Description
New from EnvelopeBooks – an important study in social anthropology
A ROAD TO EXTINCTION is a plea for the survival of a group of palaeolithic tribespeople who, against the odds, have retained their extraordinary culture in the forests of the Andaman Islands, 400 miles off the coast of Burma in the Indian Ocean.
The Andamans were taken over by the British in the late 1850s for the establishment of a penal settlement following the Indian Mutiny, and the author’s family was involved for several years in the islands’ administration. They now belong to India.
For centuries, the islanders, whose origins can be traced back to Africa 100,000 years ago, have resisted all efforts to accommodate them into modern civilization. They are now at risk of extinction and there is no meaningful plan to protect their interests, other than by doing exactly what they do not want and engaging them in development programmes and giving them handouts.
Irrespective of the mistakes the British made in the past, India has had exclusive responsibility for these tribespeople for nearly 70 years and during this time its involvement has been a complete and destructive failure. India needs to recognise the urgency of the situation and intercede, at last, to give the people the security but also the privacy that they require, encouraged if necessary by other sovereign states.
Jonathan Lawley
Jonathan Lawley was born in Northwestern India (now Pakistan) with family links going back five generations to the East India Company. After Indian independence, he moved with his parents to Africa, becoming the last white district commissioner in Zambia. He went on to work for Rio Tinto, setting up Africa’s first management training programme for black employees. He has been a director of the Royal African Society, and has campaigned energetically on African interests.
Metadata
Publisher: EnvelopeBooks
Extent: 192 pages
Size: 203mm x 127mm (8.0” x 5.0”)
ISBN: 9781838172015
Contact: editor@envelopebooks.co.uk
Reviews
“An absorbing and intriguing story, beautifully presented.”
Peter Hennessy
“Deeply moving. Deserves our attention and our support.”
John Simpson
“Anthropologically important, with a message pivotal to the survival of an indigenous island society on the edge of extinction.”
Matthew Parris
“Lawley’s book is truly a revelation.”
Christopher Matthew
“A fascinating book. I strongly recommend it.”
Richard Luce
“A compelling appeal for the world.”
Michael Holman, former Africa Editor, The Financial Times
“In this new book Jonathan Lawley has turned his attention to the colonial service of his own family in India and the Andaman Islands, tracing the story of the islands and their aboriginal inhabitants through to the present day. It is a fascinating but sombre tale.”
Hugh Tynsdale-Biscoe, former Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO
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