NEW DELHI: Two days after the government issued a detailed note on the ambitious Great Nicobar Project, clarifying certain questions raised by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party countered the government's stance on Sunday. The opposition party stated that the Centre had failed to address serious concerns raised by affected local communities, environmentalists, anthropologists, academics, and civil society voices regarding the project.
Congress also demanded a parliamentary debate on the issue to address transparency and security concerns. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh refuted the government's claim that the project is a strategic initiative to strengthen India's presence in the Andaman Sea. He quoted former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (retired), who argued that “the security capabilities of ANC (Andaman & Nicobar Command) need to be addressed separately and must have no linkage with the developments contemplated for GNI (Great Nicobar Island).”
In a four-page note, Ramesh said, “There is thus no need to link India’s legitimate security imperatives with the so-called ‘development project’ — complete with a township, high-end tourist infrastructure, and large transshipment terminal — that the Modi government is intent on bulldozing through...”
The party alleged that the government is in “damage control mode” following a recent visit to the island by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Ramesh argued that the Great Nicobar ecosystem is unique and cannot be compared to other islands in the archipelago. Flagging significant concerns regarding the Nicobarese and Shompen groups, he pointed out that the Nicobarese community had withdrawn its No Objection Certificate (NoC) for forest diversion in November 2022.
