1mo ago

India wrestles with how census can count tribe that shuns contact with outside world

4 comments

This is a clear example of bureaucrats getting so focused on their task that they miss the forest for the trees. They need to have a little conversation with themselves.
We need to get an accurate count of the Sentinelese!
Q: Why do we even do the census in the first place?
A:Well, as a society we've decided that, knowing how many people we have, and where they are, and some other important demographics about them makes it easier and more efficient for the government to effectively serve to the people.
Q: Are the Sentinelese going to benefit in any way from this?
A: Well, no, but...
THEN YOU DON'T NEED TO COUNT THEM!
Would flying over while using an infrared camera or heat signature sensor of some kind not work? Maybe pair it with a simple program that can mark and track the signatures independently since that would be difficult for a human? Idk it doesnt seem like it should be difficult to get a fairly accurate rough estimate that way
- The government is incompetent. The best they can do practically is hire another company to do it (who will also ignore all ethics and sprinkle on some corruption for good measure)
  (Source: am Indian)
Drop a large bowl of candy on their shore with a sign that says “one candy per child” and then come back the next day and count how many were taken.