THE murder of an American missionary by the tribesmen of a primitive Indian tribe is an example of how misadventure and irresponsible behaviour can lead to the demise of a dream and end a precious life.

The tragic incident should be an eye-opener for people all around the globe, particularly for young adults who feel that they can do anything.

Please remember that as a tourist you should be aware and responsible about your movements.

An individual or a community (particularly isolated primitive tribes) have the right to protect their privacy and integrity of their socio-ethnic lifestyle. Several ancient tribal communities around the planet are facing dangers of extinction.

Such isolated tribal members are extremely vulnerable to diseases and infections from civilized people due to poor immunity and should be left alone. Only scientific studies under special circumstances and following international guidelines and protocol should be allowed.

Lastly, countries must have stringent monitoring and surveillance on forbidden territories. The Andaman and Nicobar administration also cannot avoid their responsibility this situation. Each one of us needs to learn from this unfortunate incident and try to be more responsible towards local ethnic and ecological sensitivity as well as government guidelines while visiting another country as a tourist.

Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge, Canada

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2018