Nicobar project: tribal council says its concerns are being overlooked, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar has accused the Andaman and Nicobar island administration of overlooking concerns regarding the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) development project.
• The Council alleges that the administration is pushing the Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), towards a "modern lifestyle" against their wishes.
• A proposed power plant at Galathea, near Shompen settlements, is part of the ₹91,000-crore GNI development project.
• The former Chief Secretary reportedly stated that the Shompen "cannot continue" their traditional way of life and must adopt a modern lifestyle.
• Two years prior, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav had assured that the GNI project would not disturb or displace any Shompen people.

Detailed Insights:

• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) development project, approved by the Modi Cabinet in 2021, aims to strengthen India's strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region.
• The project includes an International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay, an airport, a power plant, and a township.
• The Shompen are a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe with an estimated population of 229 as per the 2011 Census, though current numbers are uncertain.
• They inhabit the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, including areas within Campbell Bay National Park, Galathea National Park, and the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.
• The Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar is a statutory body established under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Tribal Councils) Regulation, 2009, representing the indigenous communities.
• The Council has previously withdrawn its No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project, citing misinformation and lack of informed consent.
• The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities, including habitat rights for PVTGs, and mandates their consent for forest land diversion.
• The Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Sangathan (AAJVS), formed in 1978, works for the welfare of tribal development and acts as a link between the administration and tribes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG): A sub-classification within Scheduled Tribes identified by pre-agricultural technology, stagnant/declining population, low literacy, and a subsistence economy, requiring focused protection.
• Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Development Project: A large-scale infrastructure initiative on Great Nicobar Island aimed at enhancing India's strategic and economic maritime capabilities.
• Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006: A landmark legislation that recognizes and vests forest rights and occupation in forest land to Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers.
• Tribal Council: Statutory bodies in the Nicobar Islands that represent indigenous tribal communities and hold advisory and executive powers concerning tribal welfare and land rights.