A&N Tribal Welfare Dept accepts Nicobarese call to return to ancestral land, yet key concerns remain
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Sri Vijaya Puram: For the first time in two decades, the Andaman and Nicobar administration’s Tribal Welfare Department has formally acknowledged the Nicobarese community’s long-standing demand to return to their ancestral lands on Great Nicobar Island. The recognition appears in the minutes of a Tribal Welfare Committee meeting held last month, as part of the environmental clearance process for the island’s multi-component mega-project.
According to a report published by Frontline, three committees are currently reviewing the project: one focused on pollution, another on biodiversity, and a third on issues affecting the Shompen and Nicobarese communities. According to the minutes, the tribal welfare department has agreed to consider “specific demands, including the request for return to ancestral land”.
The Nicobarese were moved out of their forested tribal reserve areas after the 2004 tsunami and resettled in a tribal colony within the revenue area of Great Nicobar. Their earlier settlements had basic infrastructure such as roads, schools and a public health centre facilities. But now, they say these facilities remain largely inadequate in their new location. Despite consistent written and oral appeals since 2004, the administration did not act on their request to return and the latest acknowledgement comes only now, in the shadow of a large-scale development project that would significantly alter the island’s landscape.
Experts and community observers say the development is welcome but overdue. Social ecologist Manish Chandi, who earlier served on the administration’s Tribal Welfare Advisory Board, noted that the Nicobarese demand must be fulfilled, not merely considered. “The land belongs to the Nicobarese. It should be granted to them,” he said, cautioning that past assurances, such as delayed basic amenities in New Chingen, have not always translated into action.
However, the same committee minutes also highlight clear approvals for aspects of the mega-project that could further restrict tribal access to traditional lands. These include proposals for “geo-fencing cum surveillance towers” in Shompen areas and plans to redraw tribal reserve boundaries. Notably, the tribal welfare committee does not include a single member from either the Shompen or Nicobarese communities, and has not held any meetings with them.
Transparency issues have also surfaced. The minutes were uploaded only after an RTI appeal compelled the administration to release them. The initial denial cited Section 8(1) (a) of the RTI Act, despite environmental clearance conditions requiring the minutes to be published.
Separately, the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for the road component of the mega-project, finalised in August by Atlas Management Consultancy Services Private Limited, has drawn criticism for omitting concerns expressed by the Nicobarese during the public hearing. While comments from settler communities were included, the SIA claims tribal groups “were not averse to any development work”. This contradicts multiple written submissions made by the Nicobarese tribal council and earlier objections from sections of the Shompen community, who have asked that development be kept away from their forests and hills.
When contacted by the Rishika Pardikar, an environment reporter based in Bengaluru, the consultant who prepared the SIA denied that the Nicobarese had raised objections at the public hearing, showing assertion that conflicts with the written and oral testimonies recorded at the time. The social welfare department overseeing the SIA process has not responded to queries.
In another instance of sidelined tribal concerns, the recently released draft coastal management plans list three wildlife sanctuaries, ignoring objections from the Nicobarese that such protected areas restrict their access to land and resources.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
