Children of Karen and Ranchi ethnic groups Andaman Islands Learned about the ocean in the same way other children learn the family language.
They inherited it from their fathers and grandfathers, who could read the weather in changing clouds, sense currents in the movement of water and see turtles or reef fish in a place where outsiders could only see the color blue. The ocean was never something to be conquered or discovered. It was simply a part of everyday life, as familiar as the footpath that bordered the house.
For generations, this deep knowledge of the ocean has rarely translated into economic opportunity. However, in the transformation taking place on Havelock Island today, descendants of fishermen and sailors are becoming dive instructors and marine guides, turning an inherited relationship with the sea into a profession that is reshaping lives, families and entire communities.
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Husna, Gypsy Diver’s first dive boat to take divers to safety. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Helping to drive this change are Poonam Darnay and her husband D Santosh, founders of Gypsy Divers, a PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors, one of the world’s most recognized dive training organizations) affiliated five-star dive school and resort located on Havelock’s Beach No. 2.
Who are the Karen and Ranchi communities?
Karen community
According to Wikipedia, the Karen (also spelled Kayin) are an ethnic minority group originally from Kayin State in Myanmar, where they make up about 7% of the country’s population. British colonial authorities recruited Karen families to the Andaman Islands in the early 1920s, with the first organized group of 12 families arriving in April 1925. He was specifically selected for his exceptional forestry skills and his familiarity with tropical forest ecosystems similar to those of his Burmese homeland. Today, about 2,500–3,000 Karen people live mainly in North and Middle Andaman, with settlements in villages such as Webi, Karmatang and Borang.
For generations, the Karen have been known as skilled lumberjacks, boat builders, farmers, and naturalists. The Karen are among the most environmentally aware communities on the island and want Scheduled Tribe status in India.
Ranchi community
The Ranchi community in Andaman is not a tribe, but a collective term for aboriginal or tribal inhabitants whose ancestors came from Jharkhand, northern Odisha and Chhattisgarh. This diverse group includes tribes like Oraon (Kurukh), Munda, Kharia, Mahali, Turi, Ghasi and Cheek. According to a 2015 paper by anthropologist Philip Zehmish Invisible architects of Andaman: manifestations of tribal migration from Ranchi Migration began during British colonial rule and continued through settlement programs after independence, with approximately 50,000–100,000 Ranchiwalas now living in South Andaman, Middle Andaman, Little Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The community is currently demanding Scheduled Tribe status (which they have in Jharkhand) to receive constitutional protections and benefits in Andaman.
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Poonam, 50, is one of India’s earliest female scuba divers and instructors, while Santosh, a theater actor who has worked with Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, took his own unconventional trip to the islands. Together, they founded Gypsy Divers in 2016 with a vision that extended beyond tourism. In the decade since, the school has trained over 1,000 divers from the Karen and Ranchi communities, school children and recreational enthusiasts, and Army personnel running rescue diver certification programs.
However, some of its most lasting effects have occurred far beyond the coral reefs.
Poonam Darne with Saw Khelay from the Karen community. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
When Poonam first encountered young men from the Karen and Ranchi communities, many of them were working as fishermen or helping to run the wooden boats that carried tourists between islands. What amazed him was how deeply they knew the ocean. They could read currents, observe marine life with surprising ease and dive for long periods of time without any equipment. “The practical skills came naturally to them,” she says. “What was difficult was the theory, the language and the certification process.”
Working with translators and mentors, Gypsy Divers began training local youth as professional divers. The first batch included about 10 Karen boys. They became divemasters, gained jobs, and inspired others to follow suit. Today, hundreds of men and women from Karen and Ranchi work in the Andaman diving industry as dive instructors, marine guides and boat captains.
Poonam and Santosh Darne Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Poonam says that families who were once completely dependent on fishing now have stable income throughout the year. “Children are receiving better education, wives and parents often visit dive schools to share achievements that would have been difficult to imagine a generation ago,” explains Poonam.
‘Gypsy Diver’ Kabira is an MS-class (motor ship) dive vessel, certified under Indian Maritime Regulations for commercial passenger operations in offshore waters. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Women are also finding a place in the industry. At Gypsy Divers, Ashrita Kisipota, a 33-year-old woman from Ranchi, who initially joined as a domestic help, gradually learned administrative work, paperwork and computer operations. Today, she manages key aspects of the dive school’s operations. Across the islands, more women from the Karen and Ranchi communities are entering professions that were once dominated by men.
Ashrita Kisipota, 33-year-old woman from Ranchi. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For Poonam and Santosh, diving is only part of the mission. Marine biologists regularly hold workshops on coral reefs, conservation and marine ecology for students and local staff. “The ocean has given us purpose,” she says. “If people learn to love the ocean, they naturally develop a relationship with it and want to protect it,” Poonam confirms. She explains that the goal is not just to create divers but to create a community of marine protectors.
Darnes is quick to point out that his story is bigger than that of the Gypsy Divers. This success equally belongs to the Karen and Ranchi communities, whose generations-long relationship with the sea laid the foundation for everything that came after.
Dive master and boat captain at work Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Twenty-five-year-old Saw Toay, who lives in Mayabunder, Andaman Islands, has been working with Gypsy Divers for the last eight years. “I joined as a ground staff but now I am a boat captain,” he says proudly. As a boat captain, he escorts divers to dive sites and oversees operations on the water, often starting his day at 5 a.m. and working until 2 p.m., when sea conditions are calmest and most suitable for diving. He is building a permanent house for his family during the off season between June and September this year. Earlier, like many people in his community, he lived in a hut made of leaves. He speaks about his work with great affection, and his eyes light up when he says, “Aur bhi bada karna hai jeevan mein (I want to do bigger things in life).”
Thirty-five-year-old Saw Tool has been involved with Gypsy Divers for the past 17 years and today works as a dive master. His role includes teaching safe diving practices to divers both young and old, as well as assisting with the various PADI-certified courses offered by the school. “Before leaving, the guests shake my hand and tell me they will see us again,” Saw says, a shy half-smile spreading across his face.
Andaman is home to 2,500 – 3,000 Karen people and approximately 50,000 – 1,00,000 Ranchiwalas. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The impact of his travels extended far beyond his career. “Looking at me, many people in my community have become interested in diving, becoming divers and earning a living for themselves,” he says. I will also encourage my children or the younger generation to adopt it.
As the dive boats leave the shore each morning, they carry more people out into the blue than tourists. They carry the hopes of a generation that is proving that the sea in the Andamans can be both heritage and opportunity.
