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Key Points

Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticized the Great Nicobar Island Project for violating tribal rights and environmental protections. He shared Sonia Gandhi's article highlighting how the project threatens indigenous communities and fragile ecosystems. The Rs 72,000 crore initiative would permanently displace tribes that already suffered during the 2004 tsunami. Both leaders argue the project bypasses legal safeguards and could cause irreversible damage to the island's unique biodiversity.

Key Points: Rahul Gandhi Slams Great Nicobar Project for Trampling Tribal Rights

  • Project threatens world's unique flora and fauna ecosystems
  • Poses existential danger to indigenous Nicobarese tribal communities
  • Denotifies part of the Shompen tribal reserve
  • Bypasses constitutional bodies meant to preserve tribal rights
2 min read

The Great Nicobar Island Project is a misadventure, trampling on tribal rights: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi condemn the Rs 72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project for threatening indigenous tribes and fragile ecosystems while bypassing legal processes.

"The Great Nicobar Island Project is a misadventure, trampling on tribal rights and making a mockery of legal and deliberative processes. - Rahul Gandhi"

New Delhi, September 8

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Monday shared Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's article on social media to highlight the injustices inflicted on the Nicobar's people and its delicate ecosystem by the Great Nicobar Island project.

The Great Nicobar Island Project is a major Indian government initiative on Great Nicobar Island aimed at holistic development and strategic positioning, featuring a transhipment port, an international airport, an energy plant, and a township.

In a post shared on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "The Great Nicobar Island Project is a misadventure, trampling on tribal rights and making a mockery of legal and deliberative processes." Through this article, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi highlights the injustices inflicted on Nicobar's people and its delicate ecosystem by this project. Must read."

In an Editorial in The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi raised concerns that the project threatens "one of the world's most unique flora and fauna ecosystems and is highly susceptible to natural disasters."

Sonia Gandhi said, "The totally misplaced Rs 72000 crore expenditure poses an existential danger to the Island's indigenous tribal communities." She argued that the ancestral villages of Nicobarese tribals fall within the project's proposed land area, and these were forced to evacuate their villages during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami; now, this project will permanently displace this community.

Sonia Gandhi also argued that the Shompen face an even greater threat as the Island's Shompen policy, notified by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, specially required the authorities to prioritise the tribe's welfare and "integrity" when considering large-scale development proposals.

"Instead, the project denotifies a significant part of the Shompen tribal reserve, destroys the forest ecosystems where the Shompen live and will cause a large-scale influx of people and tourists on the island," she added.

The Congress leader also stated that the constitutional and statutory bodies established to preserve tribal rights have been sidestepped throughout this process.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Strategic development is important for national security, but not by destroying ecosystems and tribal habitats. There must be a balanced approach. The government should reconsider this project.
A
Arjun K
Why are we always choosing between development and environment? Can't we have both? 72,000 crores could be better spent on sustainable projects that don't displace tribal communities.
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Sarah B
As someone who has visited the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the biodiversity there is incredible. Destroying this for a project that might not even be sustainable given the natural disaster risks seems shortsighted.
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Vikram M
While I appreciate Rahul Gandhi raising this issue, I wish opposition leaders would also propose constructive alternatives instead of just criticizing. What's their solution for strategic development in the region?
M
Michael C
The Shompen tribe has survived for centuries in harmony with nature. Now we're going to destroy their home for "development"? This is colonial thinking in modern clothing.
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Ananya R
These tribal communities have constitutional protections for a reason. Sidestepping statutory bodies sets a dangerous precedent for tribal rights across India. We must protect our indigenous people! 🇮🇳

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