Here’s the situation as it is — a young tourist from the U.S. thinks it would be a good idea to go to one of the most restricted destinations on the planet. We are talking about North Sentinel Island, of which the Sentinelese tribe has been shunning external contact for centuries.
What was the man thinking? Сoncerning cutbacks on the poles in focus would lead to arrest, the 124 was very adamant to be detained by Indian authorities after gallivanting off to the island in late March. Local news claims that he took a rubber dinghy, risked the traverse, and was even able to set foot upon the piece of land which, by the way, it is a no-no to do.
Huh? Which Part Of The Globe Is That Island Again?
Bay of Begal is home to the North Sentinel Island and is part North of Nicobar Islands while being 1,200 kilometers from main land India. The island is approximated to be the same size as Manhattan. Unlike New York though, the island is home to a tribe untouched by civhvilcation.
The Government of India has made it a strict point that no one, be it a foreign national or a local resident, comes anywhere close to the island. This law exists to particularly safeguard the tribe’s mode of existence and more critically, their wellbeing. The tribe lacks immunity to modern ailments, and even benign ailments like the flu might prove fatal to them.
So, What Actually Happened?
As far as the authorities’ accounts go, Polyakov did indeed travel to the island but did not talk with any of the tribal folks. Jitendra Kumar Meena, head of the region’s Crime Investigation Department, claimed Polyakov was first spotted by a fisherman while leaving for the island, only to be apprehended two days later.
He has not been officially charged yet, but also had his inflatable motorized boat and engine seized by the police. It’s also unclear whether he retained the services of a legal practitioner.
The state department of the USA claimed they are familiar with the circumstances but, as is customary, tended to offer scant explanations because of privacy issues.
Why do these things matter so much
The Sentinelese are known as one of the most isolated tribes in the world. There is no reliable estimate for the population there – some say only a few dozen while others believe it could be a few hundred. They have made their intentions pretty clear over the years: They do not want outsiders.
Actually, previous attempts to reach out to them have not turned out well at all. You might recall the unfortunate event of John Allen Chau, an American missionary who was killed while attempting to convert the tribe to Christianity in 2018. That one incident is enough to show the danger and sheer lack of respect these attempts can cause – both for the outsider and the tribe.
The Bare Minimum You Need To Know? Simply Stay Quiet.
These laws exist for a reason. North Sentinel Island is not a place for tourism and definitely not somewhere to gain TikTok fame. It is a one of a kind place for a community that has repeatedly decided to live life on their own terms.
Whether Polyakov was after TikTok fame, curiosity, or something entirely different, his purpose for travel was risky and, in some people’s perspective, downright rude. This is not some reality TV show, these are real people, living real lives.
