Forest Rights Violations Alleged in ₹72,000 Crore Great Nicobar Project
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to the Union Tribal Affairs Minister regarding alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in clearances for the Great Nicobar Island mega-project. The letter highlights concerns from the Tribal Council of Nicobar, which claims the administration falsely certified that legal processes, including obtaining consent from local Nicobarese and Shompen communities for diverting over 13,000 hectares of forest land, were completed. The issue raises questions about due process and tribal rights.
Unpacked:
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities over land and resources. It mandates their consent for projects involving forest land diversion, aiming to protect their livelihoods and cultural heritage from unauthorized development.
Nicobarese are the main Indigenous group on Great Nicobar, while the Shompen are one of the world's most isolated tribes, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Their survival and culture are deeply linked to the island's rainforest ecosystem.
The project includes a transshipment port, airport, power plants, coastal cities, and tourism resorts. Its goals are economic growth, strategic defense, and transforming the island into a global business and tourism hub, with a dramatic population increase expected by 2050.
Concerns include violations of tribal consent, destruction of rainforest and biodiversity, threats to endangered species, loss of Indigenous languages, and risks to the survival of isolated communities like the Shompen due to disease and displacement.