To the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar, he went, to spread his wisdom, his religion. Yet his journey was cut short by angered tribals. The Sentinelese tribe is Andamanese people, they are an indigenous tribe that the government of India labelled as a scheduled tribe. These people have inhabited these areas for over 60,000 years. John Allen Chau had gone to this place with a mission and intention of proselytisation of the tribals. He was an American missionary who tread along the wrong path at the wrong time.
On November 14, a group of seven fishermen had helped Chau reach the forest located on the Island where the tribals lived. Although they took him there, they stayed away, while Chau ventured into the forest. The next thing they see is, Chau, getting attacked with arrows, but despite that, he kept walking. Sources say that they saw the tribals rope his body and drag it along the ground and bury it. According to SP Deepak Yadhav, Chau reached the union territory on October 16. It is found that he was looking for “adventure” and wanted to meet the Sentinelese so that he could convert them to Christianity.
Chau’s body is yet to be recovered. The police had tried an aerial sortie yesterday to asses the situation, Mr.Yadav said. Also, the fishermen who had assisted Chau in reaching the area, have a strong case registered against them. They weren’t supposed to transport Chau there in the first place.
The Sentinelese people fiercely opposed external contact. The North Sentinel Island is home to a population of Sentinelese people who are estimated to be under 50 in number. They are also identified as “aboriginal tribe” by the Indian government in 2017. Videos and recordings of them are not to be uploaded on social media as well. They are foreign to the concept of money and they are a very sensitive yet fierce tribe. They reject any contact from the outside world; they once shot arrows at a helicopter that had come to check in on their conditions. They don’t want anybody’s help or pity. Not even John Allen Chau’s.
