Rahul writes to Tribal Affairs minister over Forest Rights Act 'violations' in clearances to Great Nicobar Project

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram expressing deep concern over the alleged violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the grant of clearances to the Great Nicobar Project and urged the government to ensure adherence to the due process prescribed under the law.

In his letter to Oram, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha urged him to examine the concerns raised by the Tribal Council and the local communities over the project, an asserted that any development initiative must be grounded in the constitutional values of justice, equality, and respect for human dignity.

"I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the grant of clearances for the Great Nicobar Project. The Tribal Council of Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar has brought to my attention that the tribal communities, including the Nicobarese and the Shompens, were not properly consulted under the FRA," Gandhi said.

It has been alleged that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) was obtained under duress with inadequate information, and the council subsequently withdrew it upon learning about the project's details, the former Congress chief said.

"The tribal communities were displaced during the 2004 tsunami and have been unable to return to their ancestral lands. They now fear that the project will threaten their way of life and lead to further marginalisation due to the diversion of their land," Gandhi said in his letter dated September 3.

"I urge you to examine the concerns raised by the Tribal Council and the local communities. Any development initiative must be grounded in our constitutional values of justice, equality, and respect for human dignity," he said.

Gandhi said he hopes the government will ensure adherence to the due process prescribed under the law and implement the FRA in its true spirit.

Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh has been highlighting concerns over the Great Nicobar project, claiming that it is inimical to ecology and the rights of forest dwellers and tribals in the area.

Last month, Ramesh had described the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project as a "maha ecological disaster" and alleged that it is simply being "bulldozed" through.

He had cited his earlier conversation with the Union environment minister on the issue, where he raised concerns over the project, but lamented that it has not yielded any tangible results.

Last week, Congress whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for urgent intervention to protect the constitutional and legal rights of the Nicobarese tribes "threatened by the Rs 72,000-crore Great Nicobar Project".

The Andaman & Nicobar administration wrongly claimed that FRA rights were "settled" & forest clearances were granted for diversion of 13,075 hectares of forest land, Tagore had said.

"But the Tribal Council of Great Nicobar has categorically rejected this claim. This is a direct violation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which mandates that forest diversion can only happen with:Recognition of FRA rights; Free, prior & informed consent of the affected Gram Sabhas. Neither condition has been met," he had said.

"I urged the PM to: Order an independent review of forest clearance process; ensure FRA rights are fully recognized before land diversion; suspend the project till laws are complied with; and hold officials accountable for misrepresentation," he had said.

"I hope the Government will act with urgency to safeguard the rights of the Nicobarese & uphold the true spirit of our Constitution. The strength of our democracy lies in protecting the rights of the weakest. Development cannot come at the cost of justice & tribal survival. Nicobarese voices must be heard, respected & upheld," Tagore had said.

The project, titled ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar’, involves the construction of a transhipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant spanning more than 160 sq km.

This includes around 130 sq km of pristine forest inhabited by the Nicobarese, a Scheduled Tribe (ST), and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), whose population is estimated to be between 200 and 300.