Great Nicobar project will displace tribal communities, threaten their survival: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Flagging "core concerns" over the Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday claimed that it will disrupt and displace the tribal communities and threaten their survival and well-being which would go against all extant regulations, policies, and laws.
The former environment minister said the public debate on the project continues with chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi writing on it on September 8 in a newspaper and Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav responding to it four days later.
"But his response did not address the core concerns being raised - The environmental impact assessment conducted was rushed, incomplete, and flawed," he said on X.
The fact that further impact studies have been mandated after the project has been granted clearance shows up its limitations, he argued.
It is surprising that the assessment began even before terms of reference for it were issued, Ramesh said.
"The project will, without any doubt, disrupt and displace the tribal communities of Great Nicobar and threaten their survival and well-being.This would go against all extant regulations, policies, and laws," the Congress leader said.
Video reports of experts, who have spent their entire professional lives studying the Shompen and the Nicobarese, have been completely ignored, he said.
"The idea that notifying additional areas as tribal reserves will compensate for the areas being de-notified indicates lack of understanding about the needs of the indigenous people as well as the bio-geophysical heterogeneity of Great Nicobar," Ramesh said.
He further pointed out that ecologically, planting trees in Haryana, which needs to be done anyway, will just not compensate for clear-felling of multi-species, biodiversity-rich forests in the Great Nicobar Island.
It is really a bogus equivalence, he added.
"Scientists in public institutions themselves have spoken about being asked to provide reports favourable to the project, some even having to resign due to pressure to provide a clean chit to the project," Ramesh claimed.
Ramesh on Sunday had said the project was an "ecological disaster" being "bulldozed" by the Modi government, even though environmental clearances have been challenged in courts.
Earlier, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson slammed the project and alleged that the government has made a mockery of legal, deliberative processes under the project.
Terming the Great Nicobar infrastructure project a "planned misadventure", Gandhi had said it poses an existential danger to the island's indigenous tribal communities and is being insensitively pushed through, making a "mockery of all legal and deliberative processes".
This was countered by Environment Minister Yadav, who claimed that all clearances have been obtained, and defended the project as necessary for the country's development.
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'Sarke Chunar' row: Sanjay Dutt apologises; to sponsor education of 50 tribal girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with the controversy over the song 'Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke' and submitted a written apology, expressing regret for any "unintended" harm caused to society.
During the hearing, held under NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, the commission raised concerns over alleged vulgarity and indecent representation of women in the song from the movie "KD The Devil" and questioned issues of intent, awareness and accountability.
The chairperson emphasised whether adequate due diligence was undertaken before participating in content that could be perceived as promoting objectification of women, while also underlining the responsibility of senior and influential public figures in ensuring that their work remains within the bounds of legal and societal standards.
As a corrective measure, Dutt committed to sponsoring the education of 50 tribal girl children as part of efforts towards social welfare and women's empowerment, the NCW said in a statement.
He also assured the commission that his future artist agreements would include mandatory legal due diligence provisions to ensure dignified and appropriate representation of women and children in films and related creative projects.
Actor Nora Fatehi, who was also summoned, could not appear as she is currently abroad and has sought a fresh date for the hearing.
On April 6, other individuals associated with the song, including director Kiran Kumar alias Prem, lyricist Raqueeb Alam and representatives of KVN Production Company Gautam K M and Suprith, appeared before the commission and submitted their apologies.
The NCW underscored that while artistic freedom is important, it must be exercised with responsibility and sensitivity, reiterating the need for accountability in content reaching wide public audiences and reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and representation of women.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, drew public ire for its sexually explicit lyrics.
After the outrage, the makers deleted the Hindi version of the song from YouTube, although it was widely played and shared across various platforms.
Fatehi, in a video later, distanced herself from the song, saying she shot the video for the Kannada version and her permission was not taken to use it in the Hindi version. The lyricist, singer and the director also apologised.
The issue was brought up in Lok Sabha during Question Hour by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Anand Bhadoria last month.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the song was already banned and the government was ready to take action against such vulgarity.
"KD The Devil" is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi. It will release on April 30. The film features Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Shilpa Shetty, and Dutt.
