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Andamans Boy, an unusual adventure tale set in a reclusive locale is a fast-paced, action-packed story about Arif, a courageous little orphan boy who comes under the guardianship of a nasty and mercenary uncle and aunt after his wealthy parents pass away in a car accident. Unable to bear their oppression anymore Arif leaves home in the dead of night and finds his way to Dadar Railway Station in Central Mumbai from where he boards a train to Chennai. His luck betrays him as he is identified at Chennai station because of a ‘Missing’ poster, but ingenuity and grit guide him as he disguises himself variously with a shaven head, a ‘lungi’ in place of a pant, a limp, a striped religious mark on his forehead, a change of name from Arif to Ram and an ‘Om Ganesaya Namaha’ chant. He finally reaches Wandoor Island in the Andamans where he tends crocodiles for a living.
Since Arif’s inheritance is estimated to be immense his relatives are not going to give up on him easily and he learns that he is being pursued even in the Andaman Islands. He now joins Aung Thwin, a Myanmarese fisherman who is fleeing Andaman Islands for his homeland in a boat. Arif disembarks on a boot-shaped island where for a while he lives alone and explores nature. Here he has an incidental encounter with Eetha Aleho, a young Jarawa boy and through him gets accepted in the Jarawa fold and becomes an Andamans Boy. It is here that one gets an insight into Jarawa traditions, customs, food habits and integrity. Their deep knowledge and respect for the environment and wise usage of its resources force the reader to re-think about the concepts of ‘civilization’ and ‘development’, while serving many a valuable lesson about natural history.
As an alien who has been admitted into the Jarawa clan, Arif has a dual language advantage and is able to interpret the demonic plans of certain government officials who arrive in ‘gift boats’ and entice the Jarawa with trifle presents such as buckets and red cloth in an attempt to displace them from their natural habitat. As one such ‘benevolent crook’ remarks, “The government is going to make 100 crores from these forests … Don’t you think that’s more important than 300 junglees…?” Arif alerts his clan who repel the next ‘gift invasion’ and subsequently with the intercession of the country’s Prime Minister it is resolved to put an end to the Jarawa gift dropping story, encroachments and interference. Arif is the hero of the hour as the novella ends on a positive and optimistic note.
Illustrations by Ashok Rajagopalan and line drawings by Indraneil Das bring alive the narration which is undoubtedly interesting and informative, yet marked with improbability especially with regard to the lonely existence and survival ability of a city bred ten year old child in an uninhabited distant island and later in the midst of an alien clan of tribals.
