For centuries, the tribal communities of the Nicobar Islands governed themselves without election symbols, nomination forms, polling agents, counting agents, electoral rolls, ballot boxes, or gazette notifications. Leadership was not determined by who had the best campaign slogan or who could gather the most votes. It emerged from community trust, wisdom, experience, and social acceptance. The Captain was not merely a political leader; he was a custodian of tradition, a mediator, a guide, and often the first person a community turned to during crises. Then, in 2026, someone somewhere looked at this age-old system and apparently concluded, "Bahut ho gaya tradition, ab thoda democracy ka tadka lagate hain." The Draft Tribal Council Election Rules read like a love letter to bureaucracy. Every few pages introduces another officer, another form, another procedure, another appeal mechanism, another notification, and another layer of administration. By the time one reaches the end,...
There is a famous saying in India: “Health is wealth.” In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, however, the updated government version seems to be: “Tourism is wealth… health can wait.” Welcome to GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair - the grand old warrior of the islands. Established in 1963, this hospital has spent nearly 63 years carrying the healthcare burden of almost five lakh islanders. One building, one overburdened system, one exhausted backbone trying to keep an entire archipelago alive. And honestly, if walls could speak, the walls of GB Pant Hospital would probably say: “Bhai, mujhe bhi retirement do.” The hospital stands today not merely as a healthcare institution, but as a living archaeological monument. Some sections look less like a modern medical facility and more like a government structure preserved from the black-and-white Doordarshan era. Paint peeling, ageing infrastructure, leaking corners, rusted frames, yet inside these tired walls, doctors continue performing miracles ever...