Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday accused the Centre of committing a “flagrant violation” of tribal rights in connection with the ambitious Great Nicobar Island project and sought immediate corrective action from Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram. In a letter addressed to the minister, Ramesh alleged that the rights guaranteed to indigenous communities under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, had been compromised to facilitate the large-scale infrastructure project in the ecologically sensitive island region.

Ramesh strongly objected to the Centre’s claims made in a “Great Nicobar Project FAQ” document issued on May 1, which stated that all statutory safeguards and legal procedures related to tribal welfare had been followed. Calling the claims “entirely false”, the Congress leader alleged that resolutions passed during Gram Sabha meetings in Campbell Bay, Laxmi Nagar, and Govind Nagar on August 12, 2022, were illegal and lacked legitimacy because they were approved by non-tribal settlers rather than members of indigenous tribal communities protected under the law.

The controversy centres around the diversion of more than 13,000 hectares of forest land for the proposed mega-infrastructure project in Great Nicobar. The project includes plans for a transshipment port, airport, township, and power infrastructure and has faced sustained criticism from environmentalists, tribal rights activists, and opposition leaders. Critics argue that the development could threaten the fragile ecosystem of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago and endanger the traditional habitat and rights of vulnerable indigenous tribes living in the region.

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Ramesh urged the Tribal Affairs Ministry to undertake what he described as “credible remedial action” and re-examine the process through which forest and environmental clearances were granted. The Congress leader also reiterated demands for the withdrawal of forest clearances linked to the project, alleging that the due process mandated under tribal protection laws was bypassed. The Centre, however, has consistently defended the project, maintaining that all legal, environmental, and tribal safeguards were followed before approvals were granted.

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