Centre seeks ‘factual report’ on tribal council’s objections to Great Nicobar project
New Delhi: The Union government has asked the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration to submit a detailed factual report on concerns raised by the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar regarding diversion of forest land for the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project.
According to a report published by The Hindu, a letter was sent on Monday (September 8), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs directed the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory to respond point by point to issues flagged in a recent complaint and media reports. The Tribal Council has alleged that forest rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, were not settled before nearly 13,000 hectares of forest land were diverted in August 2022.
The Council said its consent had been obtained “under pressure” and later withdrawn in writing. It also contested an August 2022 certificate issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Nicobar, which stated that the process of identifying and settling rights under the FRA had been completed. The Council maintains that no such process has been initiated.
The Andaman and Nicobar administration, in its monthly reports to the Ministry, has argued that the FRA need not be implemented in the Islands since tribal rights are already protected under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act, 1956 (PAT56). While PAT56 gives the administration authority to divert forest land, the FRA requires Gram Sabha consent after recognition and vesting of rights.
According to the Tribal Council, affected Nicobarese families were not represented in the Gram Sabha meeting of 2022. The council also objected to Shompen tribespeople being represented by officials of the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti.
The National Green Tribunal and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes have also raised questions over compliance with consent procedures and environmental safeguards.
Congress leaders have also intervened. Rahul Gandhi recently wrote to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram urging a review of the Council’s concerns, while Sonia Gandhi described the project as a “planned misadventure.”
The government has maintained that due process was followed in granting forest clearances. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court is hearing a petition challenging the project’s approvals.
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TMC's reign of terror prevails in West Bengal: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of party worker Debdeep Chatterjee allegedly by TMC goons, and said his party will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition.
Chatterjee was brutally murdered in Asansol during post-poll violence. He was closely associated with Asansol North Congress candidate Prasenjit Puitandi, the party claimed.
The worker was attacked and beaten by those linked to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and succumbed to injuries shortly thereafter, the West Bengal Congress alleged.
"The murder of Congress worker Debdeep Chatterjee by TMC-affiliated goons after the elections is utterly reprehensible. My deepest condolences to the grieving family," Gandhi said in a post on X.
"In West Bengal today, it is not democracy but TMC's reign of terror that prevails. Intimidating, attacking, and eliminating opposing voices after votes are cast -this has become the defining character of TMC," Gandhi also said.
He said the Congress' politics has never been based on violence, nor will it ever be.
"We too have lost our workers, yet we have always chosen the path of non-violence and the Constitution. This is our legacy, this is our resolve. "The demand is clear -immediate arrest of all the guilty, the harshest punishment, and grant full security and compensation for Debdeep's family," the former Congress chief said.
"We will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition. Justice will be done," Gandhi said.
The West Bengal Congress, in a post on its X handle, said this tragic incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in the state and raises serious questions about the safety of opposition workers in West Bengal.
"The fact that such violence has occurred immediately after polling highlights a deeply disturbing pattern of political intimidation and vendetta," it said.
The Congress stands firmly with the bereaved family and demands immediate arrest of all those responsible for this heinous crime and a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation. It also said adequate compensation and protection for the victim's family.
"It is deeply concerning that even an FIR had not been registered at the time of reporting, further indicating administrative apathy in the face of such a grave incident.
"The Indian National Congress reiterates that democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of fear and violence. We will continue to raise our voice against such atrocities and fight to ensure justice for every victim," the party said.
The Congress said the murder of Chatterjee by goons associated with TMC is highly condemnable and termed it a direct attack on democracy.
"Democracy in West Bengal has ended, and TMC's reign of terror continues. Silencing and subduing opposing voices through violence has become TMC's hallmark. We demand that the culprits be arrested immediately and given the harshest possible punishment. We will not allow the democracy of our country to be destroyed by these anti-people forces," the Congress said.
