Jarawa and Sentinelese Tribe of Andaman Islands

Jawara residing on the Western side of South Andaman and Middle Andaman and Sentinelese on North Sentinal Island are among the oldest tribe known to mankind. The population of the both tribes have descended which an estimate of 39 Sentinelese at the time of 2001 which declined to 15 in 2011 census. The population of Jawara is predicted around 250-400 individuals.  While the former is now in regular contact with the outsiders the later are still dont interact with  any other group or community, Until 1990’s Indian government tried to establish friendly relations with the Sentinelese by occasionally leaving gifts on their shores. This seems to have had some initial success; eventually though, the encounters turned hostile, and the program was abandoned. In 2004, in the wake of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, helicopters were sent to survey North Sentinel Island to see if the inhabitants had survived. The Sentinelese sent a pretty clear signal that they had and still didn’t want to be messed with. With the establishment of the British settlement, Jarawa are suspected to have been largely depopulated by disease that outsiders carry. They were similarly decimated by the introduction of alcohol and opium.