NEO-NOMADS IN ANDAMAN

I AM FROM NOWHERE, BUT I BELONG TO EVERYWHERE

Are you a native of Andaman?

Shruthi was not amused by my direct question... she was rather disturbed...  just stared at me once and at Ambika, before slipping into silence.

She was squatting on bonnet (?)  of the motor boat, exposing herself to the scorching sun. Even during the journey to the scuba point, I noticed that she was constantly sitting in the sun. She looked like deity Kali.... sans breathing fire. She was very calm, talkative and humorous. Tan was a very soft word for what scorching sun done to her skin over two years.  It was partial burn, but had not affected beauty.

After a pause, she broke the silence and said: ``my father hailed from Kolkatta... he was in defence. I was brought up all over the country. You see.... I am from nowhere, but I belong to everywhere.’’

I just smiled and asked: `you mind me taking your photo?’  She did not reply. I continued: `I usually don’t photograph human beings.... somehow I felt this time.’

Ambika joined me and said: `let him.... he is always after wild animals. This is the first time I saw him, wanting to photograph a human beings.’ Shruthi gave a broad smile.

I thought Shruthi would not be interested in sharing anything about herself. But, she softly broke her silence: `even I used to be a journalist.’

`Is it? where?’ I asked.

`I started my career at Delhi with Wall Street Journal. I moved on to Mumbai and my last job was with Q3 publication. I was with launching team, but I worked there only for 10 months before moving here. Before joining Q3, I had done advanced course in scuba diving. During my tenure in Q3, ocean used to haunt me. One fine day, I packed up everything and came here. It has been two years since I am guiding scuba divers,’ she said.

`Your parents did not object?’

`I did not ask anyone. I did not even ask money from them. I had my savings and I took my decision. Initially, my mom was worried and said that it was unsafe. I told her that it was safer than living in Mumbai. There, you can be bumped off by any vehicle at any point of time. A girl has to think twice before stepping out late in the nights. Here nothing like that. I can walk alone even in late nights and nothing happens,’’ she said.

Shruthi was part of the team that had taken my family for scuba diving at Havelock Island, Andaman. She worked for Barefoot Scuba, which conducts scuba activities. Previous night, I had met Sameer and Shruthi in the resort, while booking for scuba diving along with Ambika and Srishti. On the day, we were joined by Mark and two others, including a boy from Bangalore. After first round of scuba, another couple went down under the water. Shruthi was left behind with us. While Ambika and Srishti opted for Snorkelling, I decided to go under the water again.

`Most of the people who work here are like that. They were in some or other profession, later realised their passion for ocean and came here. Sameer was working with O&M advertising agency in Delhi, before he moved in here. Like that, there are some software professionals, who have quit their job and joined as instructors here. It is just recent trend that boys out of college coming and joining here,’ Shruthi said.

Scuba itself is around a decade old in India. Till recently, it was not recognised properly. However, after Professional Association for Diving Instructors (PADI) stepped in and started certifying scuba activities, it received international recognition. `Barefoot is big and has recently opened two more scuba activity centres. One in Diglipur and another in Chennai,’’ she said.

Later, Ambika and Shruthi started their own conversation. Shruthi was telling how, when they take a two month break during monsoon and go home, they return becoming fairer, with darker hairs. However, once they are back in the sea, skin gets tanned and hair gets bleached. Back home, her aunts and cousins tell her how much they spend on getting their hair bleached, while she was getting it naturally here.

I was accompanied by Sameer during my first dive, while Shruthi took me on my second dive.  I was impressed by the professionalism of both. The coral reef and marine life under water is mesmerizing. One can never understand it by watching NGC or Discovery.

While returning to scuba centre, I was just thinking about what Shruthi said. While Mark was a white foreigner (?), the rest were from all over India. All of them had quit so called lucrative careers to guide scuba divers. In reality, everyone was obsessed with sea and was living with it.

It looked as though a new tribe of nomads was forming in Andamans. Something on lines of Hippy, Osho, Gypsy culture in late 70s and 80s. They had disdained the social code to live free life, while these people also appeared to had did the same.

However, there was a fundamental difference between the two cultures. While the cults in 70s and 80s had spurned the old social orders, while the society had banished them. However, these people had spurned only the new lifestyle, which was result of globalization, liberalisation, leading to corporate influence on day to day life. These people are very much part of the new social order. They are still in touch with their family and friends. Every year, they take break for a month or two during monsoon to meet them. Rest of the time, they pursue their passion, which is also their profession.

The main accusation for earlier cults was drug abuse. However, looking at the professionalism exhibited by these people, I doubt it with these neo-nomads. They looked as if they had just rejected the new order of corporate life, working in front of computers for long hours, hopping parties, run behind work and career pressure, credit card, EMI pressures and feeling insecure all the time.

In reality, they are still under corporate shadow. Barefoot itself is a big organisation, which has recently opened operations in Diglipur and Chennai also. It is also affiliated to PADI, which monitors and certifies professional diving activity throughout the world. Barefoot has allowed Serai group of resorts to take over its resort groups and has allowed investment to expand its activities. This makes it another corporate sector in sea adventure activities.   

I just smiled at my own thought process. Noted Kannada writer Mr K P Poornachandra Tejaswi used to say that globalisation was an inevitable process. ``I don’t see any point in opposing globalisation and liberalisation. With or without our consent, the process will go on and it is there to stay. All we have to do is to learn to protect our identity within the new system.’’

When we reached scuba centre, I was shocked for a moment. In the morning, I and my family were busy taking instructions from Mark and Sameer over scuba, completing the paper works. I had not noticed activities around me. Now, I realised how big the activities were. There were many white boys and girls like mark and other Indians like Sameer and Shruthi. All were scuba instructors and contrary to my thinking that a new tribe was emerging, I saw the new tribe had already emerged. I was late in recognizing that.

After changing, I remembered borrowing a cap from Sameer before leaving for scuba. By now, Sameer and Shruthi had melted in the crowd. Everyone at reception of the scuba was working like machines. I bumped on to Mark and handed over the cap to him.

A question passed on in my mind to ask Mark: ``Where are you from?’’

I realised that Shruthi had already answered it. `I am from nowhere and I belong to everywhere.’

Swallowing the question, I just smiled and thanked Mark.

Vinay Madhav