New Delhi, Jan.11: The Centre has directed the Andaman & Nicobar Islands administration to inquire into the alleged incident of Jarawa tribal women being made to dance before tourists by tour operators.

The London-based Observer reported on January 7 that “safaris” were taken around the reserve in south Andamans, which is an area strictly meant for the Jarawas. The Jarawas are one of the six scheduled tribes on the islands. A video was also posted on the Guardian and Observer website, which was in turn was picked up by the Indian media.

Islands chief secretary Shakti Sinha and the police chief have been asked to probe the video footage that shows Jarawa women allegedly being ordered to dance before tourists in return for food. The government is trying to get the video footage, check its veracity and find out how old it is.

“The fact is that these incidents are not new, they have been on YouTube for some time now,” Union tribal affairs minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo told The Telegraph. “There is an entity Survival International who are operating from the UK and these people want to let the Jarawas live in Stone Age conditions for all times,” he said.

The government claims that the Jarawas have begun to mingle with the local population on their own.

The Centre is yet to finalise amendments to the Protection of Aboriginal Tribals Regulation, 1956, that could ensure the Jarawas are not allowed to become a “tourist attraction”.

Nonetheless, an inquiry has been immediately ordered and Deo said Union home minister P. Chidambaram was looking into the matter personally. Deo met Chidambaram today to discuss the course of action.