Kidnaps prompt warning over Indian tribal lands Orissa, which lies south-west of Calcutta and borders the Bay of Bengal, is home to more than 60 groups of adivasis, or tribal people, numbering several million. These tribes are considered to be the aboriginal people of India and increasing numbers of Western tourists have been venturing into the remote and hilly regions to witness their unchanging ways of life - a trend that has led to accusations of "ethnic tourism" and "human safaris." The Italians, Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo - who have since been released - were abducted on March 14 in a well-known Maoist stronghold. The militants, who claimed the tourists were taking photographs of "naked tribal people," issued a list of demands including the release of jailed Maoists and a ban on foreign tourists visiting the tribal areas. Mr Bosusco, who runs an adventure holiday company based in Orissa, was released yesterday; Mr Colangelo, a doctor from Rome, on March 25, but a local politician kidnapped on March 24 remains in captivity. As we went to press, talks were continuing between the state government and the Maoists. The crisis highlights the increasing controversy surrounding tourism within the tribal areas of Orissa. Visitors have always required permits but, following stories of insensitivity and exploitation by tour groups, the state government recently imposed even stricter regulations in some areas. These include the homelands of the Bonda, who wear distinctive neck rings and are considered the most fearsome and fascinating of all the tribes. Tourists are not allowed to stay overnight in their villages, enter their homes, take photographs or video footage, or even stand close to the adivasis. The Italians who were kidnapped seem to have broken all the rules. "They shouldn't have been there, they shouldn't have been doing what they were doing," said Amrit Singh, the managing director of the London-based tour operator Transindus, which offers tailor-made tours to the tribal areas of Orissa. She admitted that tribal tours were controversial but urged sensitivity and mutual respect. "They [the adivasis] don't get much out of it," she said. The only benefit for them is that they produce a lot of handicrafts, available at the weekly markets. If you're taking an organised tour, have the right permissions and are sensitive about photography and about your demeanour in this very diverse and different culture, then you are most welcome.