Not aware of objections to Great Nicobar project: Govt

The Tribal Affairs Ministry is non aware of any objections raised by the Tribal Council of small and outstanding Nicobar to the outstanding Nicobar mega substructure project, Union Tribal Affairs minister, Jual Oram said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.He was responding to questions raised by Saket Gokhale, TMC MP who asked if the Tribal Affairs ministry can confirm that the Tribal Council of Great Nicobar has constantly opposed the denotification of their villages in the Tribal reserve and other areas of Great Nicobar? He also asked for the reaction of the ministry to the letter from the Tribal council dated 22 November, 2022 withdrawing the NOC (No-Objection Certificate) previously given to the project by the council?Oram said that ministry “has not got any information on any kind of objection from the public.” HT reported on April 14, 2023 that the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar had in November 2022 withdrawn the no-objection certificate (NOC) given in August that year for diversion of land — roughly half of which is tribal reserve land — for the controversial Great Nicobar Township and other infrastructure projects. The Council said that it was not informed that the areas to be de-notified from the Tribal Reserve are in fact their villages which they used to inhabit before the 2004 Tsunami that devastated Great Nicobar.Gokhale said that the issue pertains to Shompen and Nicobarese tribes who were displaced during the 2004 Tsunami. “These are particularly vulnerable tribes with no representation in this House. They have led isolated lives with little contact with the world. To introduce my question. They are native to Great Nicobar Island , were temporarily resettled and now request to be taken back to those islands. It’s a long pending request. Even today they depend on these areas for plantations, foraging and these lands are very sacred to them.”Oram claimed that “ not even one person is being displaced from this area. An area of 7.144 sqkms of tribal reserve land will be used and other forest land is separate. So no one is being displaced.”Gokhale pointed to a video report of objections by Tribal Council which was recorded and submitted by an anthropologist, Vishwajit Pandya , but Oram denied that his ministry has received “any video report by the anthropologist mentioned.” The brief discussion in the Rajya Sabha came after Oram, in a written response to a question on the project said that “no comments were being offered” as the matter was sub judice. To this, Congress MP, Jairam Ramesh pointed out that the chairman of the Rajya Sabha had said on a previous occasion that the House is entitled to discuss everything except article 121 of Constitution which pertains to conduct of a judge of SC or high court. “It is unfortunate that answer to this question is not given. The project can lead to environmental and humanitarian disaster,” he said.Oram said the question should never have been admitted and referred to the “strategic” importance of the region. HT reported on March 8 that two of the three gram (village) panchayats in the area earmarked for the ambitious project in the Great Nicobar Island have consented to the development area notification, but highlighted that amenities and utilities being built should benefit locals and that fair compensation should be provided.The Tribal Council of Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar has, however, objected to the diversion of certain areas currently reserved for tribals.These are specific villages where mainly the Shompen and Nicobarese population reside including Chingneh, Kirasis and Kurchinom in Galathea Bay; In Haeng Loi and Pulo Baha in Pemmaya Bay and Kokeon; Bui-jayae and Pulo Pakka in the Western flank of Nanjappa Bay. The letter also states that there are Shompen bands who forage in the forests adjoining the Vijaynagar and Laxminagar villages and mentions specific locations along the East West and North South roads of the Island.