The Karen – A Lesser Known Community of the Andaman Islands (India)

The Karen is a lesser-known community residing mainly in even villages of the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman. Brought into India from Burma (now Myanmar) for the first time as forest labourers in 1925, the Karen decided to settle down in India itself after its independence as Indian citizens. Today the Karen form a small but important community of the island since they are trying to attain the status of Scheduled Tribe in India, which would entitle them of special privileges and concessions granted to underdeveloped groups of the country. Residing in India over the years; interaction with other communities such as the Bengali, Ranchi and Malyalee; education and development have brought about certain changes in their original lifestyle. Although the Karen are trying hard to maintain their indigenous identity and homogeneity, the rapid changes occurring are easily observable to the extent that marriages into other communities have started to take place. The present paper, based on in depth interviews among the Karen of Mayabunder during November-December 2003, thus attempts to document the general socio-cultural profile of the Karen community and changes that have been occurring in their lifestyle. It is quite possible that in a decade or so from now, the Karen also become a heterogeneous group like other communities of the Andaman Islands who have lost much of their indigenous cultural traits due to excessive intermixing with various other culturally different groups