A Ukrainian-American tourist, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, has found himself in serious trouble after allegedly setting foot on North Sentinel Island in Andaman & Nicobar—one of the most secluded and strictly protected places in the world.Hoping to make contact with the island’s elusive tribe, he left behind a can of cola and a coconut as an offering. But the Sentinelese, who have remained untouched by the outside world for over 30 years, paid him no attention.AdvertisementHis risky expedition came to an abrupt end when authorities learned of his actions. On March 31, he was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for entering a prohibited area without permission.More from Explainers
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Trump tariffs: Who is retaliating, who isn’t? How is India responding?But how did he manage to pull this off? Why is North Sentinel Island off-limits? And has anyone else attempted to reach this mysterious land before? Let’s take a closer look.How did US tourist manage to reach North Sentinel Island?Polyakov’s plan was far from spontaneous. Authorities said that he set out from Kurma Dera Beach at around 1 am on March 29 to enter the North Sentinel Island, after meticulously conducting research on sea conditions, tides, and accessibility from the beach.He then launched his boat, bringing with him a coconut and a can of cola as offerings as he wanted to make contact with the isolated tribe on the island. Using GPS navigation, Polyakov reached the northeastern shore at around 10 am and used binoculars to survey the area but saw no signs of the Sentinalese.In an attempt to draw attention, he allegedly blew a whistle he had brought along, but there was no response. He then landed on the island for around five minutes, left offerings on the shore and collected sand samples. He also recorded a video before returning to his boat.Editor’s Picks1Anthropologist Madhumala Chattopadhyay recounts being first woman to establish contact with Sentinelese, Jarawa tribesA tribesman aims his bow and arrow at an Indian coastguard helicopter over North Sentinel Island. File image/AFPBy 7 pm, he returned to the resort area, where local fishermen spotted him. His movements quickly came to the attention of the authorities, and he was arrested. An FIR was filed against him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012. Police also seized his GoPro camera, which he had used to document his expedition.AdvertisementSurprisingly, this wasn’t Polyakov’s first attempt to reach the forbidden island. According to police, he had visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in October last year and had tried to use an inflatable kayak to get close to North Sentinel, but hotel staff intervened and stopped him.His fascination with the region didn’t end there. He returned in January this year, attempting to buy a motor for his boat. During that trip, he also visited the Baratang Islands and was accused of illegally filming the Jarawa tribe, another protected indigenous group.DGP HS Dhaliwal told PTI, “We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area. We are also trying to find where else he visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are questioning the hotel staff where he was staying in Port Blair.”Why is nobody allowed to visit North Sentinel island?North Sentinel Island isn’t just off-limits—it’s one of the most protected and mysterious places on Earth. Home to the Sentinelese, a tribe that has lived in isolation for thousands of years, the island remains untouched by modern civilisation.Indian law strictly forbids any attempt to make contact with the Sentinelese, who are believed to be direct descendants of the first humans to migrate out of Africa. Their way of life is largely unknown, making them a rare living link to the Stone Age.AdvertisementIndian law strictly forbids any attempt to make contact with the Sentinelese, who are believed to be direct descendants of the first humans to migrate out of Africa. Image courtesy: X/MarioNawfalAnthropologists estimate that between 50 to 100 Sentinelese live on the island, choosing to remain cut off from the outside world. They are fiercely independent and have repeatedly resisted contact, often responding with aggression to outsiders who venture too close.In 2018, an American missionary John Allen Chau made several attempts to visit the island to preach Christianity. However, the 26-year-old was he was killed by the tribesmen, and his body remains on the island to this day. ReutersThe island is legally protected under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes (Regulation), 1956, and the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Any unauthorised visit is considered a criminal offence.Were there any attempts made to contact them?One of the earliest recorded attempts to approach North Sentinel Island happened in 1974, when a National Geographic crew tried to get close. Their welcome? A volley of arrows, one of which struck the director in the leg.In 2006, two fishermen who accidentally drifted into restricted waters while poaching were killed on sight. The tribe later buried their bodies on the beach, making it clear that outsiders were not welcome.However, in the early 1990s, Indian anthropologists Triloknath Pandit and
Madhumala Chattopadhyay managed to establish the first peaceful contact. They offered coconuts to the Sentinelese, and while the tribe accepted them, the interaction did not develop into anything meaningful or lasting.AdvertisementThe Sentinelese’s hostility towards outsiders isn’t without reason. In 1880, Maurice Vidal Portman, a British naval officer, attempted to “civilise” the tribe by kidnapping six islanders—two adults and four children—and taking them to Port Blair.The adults quickly fell sick and died due to their lack of immunity to modern diseases. The children were sent back with gifts, but likely carried new infections with them. This tragic episode is believed to be a major reason why the tribe remains deeply distrustful of outsiders.In 1996, India officially banned all outside visits to protect the tribe.In the early 1990s, Indian anthropologists Triloknath Pandit and Madhumala Chattopadhyay managed to establish the first peaceful contact with the Sentinalese tribe. Image courtesy: Facebook/Madhumala ChattopadhyayThe most infamous case came in 2018, when American missionary
John Allen Chau made several attempts to visit the island to preach Christianity. Despite paying fishermen to smuggle him close, he was met with aggression. His diary, later recovered, revealed that on an earlier attempt, an arrow had pierced his Bible. On his final visit, he was killed by the tribesmen, and his body remains on the island to this day.AdvertisementDespite repeated incidents over the years, people like Polyakov continue to ignore the warning signs. The message from the Sentinelese is clear—they want nothing to do with the outside world. And it would be best for them and us to respect their privacy and leave them undisturbed.With input from agenciesTagsIndiaUnited States of AmericaEnd of Article
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Coconut & Cola: How a US man attempted contact with ‘most isolated tribe’ in Andaman
