India Cracks Down on 'Human Safaris'

Video footage of abused tribal women has triggered a national debate in India and inspired harsh words between police and human rights advocates, the Guardian reports. The so-called "human safari" video shows an off-camera police officer prompting naked women to dance for tourists in return for food on India's Andaman Islands. India has ordered Andaman authorities to arrest the tour operator and whoever recorded the video.

But Andaman police—who reportedly accept bribes to allow tourists near the Jarawa tribe— say they have already collared nearly 1,000 people over the past 5 years for interacting with the tribe. They also claim the latest video is more than a decade old, and accuse two human rights groups of pocketing money earmarked for the Jarawa. Says the director of one group: "It is sad that, instead of supporting the organization, the ... police is trying to malign our image." (More Safari stories.)