Nicobar’s Future at Stake: CPI(M)’s D. Ayyappan Demands Accountability on Mega Project and Tribal Rights
D. Ayyappan believes the mega project “will adversely impact the Nicobarese, both directly and indirectly”.
| Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement
Early in 2023, D. Ayyappan, Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar State Organising Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), wrote to Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the then-Home Secretary of the Union government, about the “problems being faced by the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”. He raised three issues: one, a separate Parliamentary seat for the Nicobar district; two, the creation of an autonomous tribal council for the Nicobar district; and three, the creation of a separate state civil service for the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are divided into three districts: South Andaman, North and Middle Andaman, and Nicobar. And except the area chalked out as revenue land on the island of Great Nicobar, the entire district of Nicobar, spanning several islands such as Car Nicobar, Nancowry, Katchal and Little Nicobar, is designated as a tribal reserve where access to non-tribals—except those on government duty—is restricted and requires permits. The demand for an autonomous and unified tribal council for the Nicobar district has also been made by the Nicobarese tribal councils from the different islands.
All three issues raised by the politician who lives in Port Blair share a common thread: the plight of the people of these islands, owing to administrative apathy and, therefore, the need for local governance. In an interview with Frontline, Ayyappan spoke about these issues and also his concerns about the lack of political engagement, across party lines, with the Rs 81,000 crore Great Nicobar mega project.
Edited excerpts:
Could you elaborate on the issues you raised in the letter to the Home Secretary and why you raised them?
Nicobar district is a far-flung area. And it is one of the most underdeveloped districts in the country. A separate and dedicated Member of Parliament from the Nicobar district can help develop the area. And the seat should be reserved for a tribal [person].
This has been our consistent demand. And the member of Parliament can consult the autonomous tribal council of the district. There is a need for elections in the tribal councils in the Nicobar district. Because the manner in which captains [village heads] are appointed today and tribal councils are formed does not represent the voices of all the tribal people. We need a true, democratically elected tribal council.
In your letter, you mention how, at present, the tribal councils in Nicobar do not have any financial or executive power.
Yes, they don’t have any executive or financial power. The Nicobar district has many tribal councils from different islands such as Nancowry, Car Nicobar, and Katchal. But they don’t have the powers to function. We need to empower the tribal councils.
Did you receive a response from the Home Secretary or anyone else in the Union government?
No. The BJP government does not reply. And I don’t think they will yield to these demands. We have raised many issues about the Andaman Islands also. We have to wait for months for a reply. This government does not care about other political parties and a democratic manner of functioning. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands come directly under the Home Ministry. So, we keep writing to them.
The Nicobarese prepare for the traditional “Asol Aap” (canoe race) in the Nicobar district in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
What are your views on the Great Nicobar mega project?
The government is not coming forward with what they are planning in Great Nicobar. There have been no proper discussions in the Parliament. And no discussions with elected representatives and other political parties. We know details about this project because we read newspapers. We have some information only because of the press. As of today, we have not taken any decision about whether to support the project or to oppose it. The question of supporting or opposing will only arise after the government speaks to the people and political parties here about this project. No meeting has taken place with other political parties in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
We have heard that 130 sq km of tropical forest land is being acquired for the transshipment terminal, greenfield airport, township and tourism facilities. But I don’t think even the people in Great Nicobar have a clear idea about what this project is.
The member of Parliament for Andaman and Nicobar Islands is from the BJP. I doubt how much the government has consulted him. Because discussions about the mega project are happening within the Island Development Agency (IDA) or some official meetings organised by New Delhi. There are no public representatives, no members of Parliament in IDA
“Today, everything is being done in a hushed-up manner. The government should take local people into confidence before any such move.”D. AyyappanSecretary of the Andaman and Nicobar State Organising Committee of the CPI(M)
The Nicobarese community has raised concerns with the mega project because their traditional lands are being taken over. Earlier, they were living along the south and south west coast and after the tsunami, they were relocated to Campbell Bay. Now the project is coming up on these same lands.
This project will adversely impact the Nicobarese, both directly and indirectly. For tsunami-affected populations, the process of resettlement has not been completed. Nicobarese have been living in tsunami shelters that were earlier supposed to be temporary shelters. I don’t know the specific details about their land and where the project is coming but I am aware that after the tsunami, the Nicobarese were badly affected. There are also some special interest groups, such as contractors who think that if this project comes, their prospects will increase. This is the other side. I don’t want to dwell on these things in detail. As CPI(M), our stand is that the Union government should come forward with the details of this project.
The National Green Tribunal had formed a high-powered committee to assess this project. But their report has not been released in the public domain. We don’t know what this committee found and how the environment and people will be affected by this project. So, we need these studies to be released. Today, everything is being done in a hushed-up manner. The government should take local people into confidence before any such move. It is a big project and the government is making many tall claims.
But the reality in the Andaman and Nicobar islands today is 5-6 hours of power-cut daily. A government that is not able to provide an uninterrupted power supply for such a small population is now talking about a mega project. Do you know that during the summer in COVID, Port Blair got a drinking water supply only once in 10 days? And today we are supplied with drinking water only once in three days. Can this government and its agencies implement a project worth thousands of crores? Many previous plans have remained as announcements or have been shelved.
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Many people in Campbell Bay, including the Nicobarese, complain about the lack of facilities such as hospitals, roads and schools. Why is a government that is unable to meet basic demands now planning a mega project?
Even after 78 years of Independence, we still have a lot of underdevelopment in the islands. We have a national highway (NH4) that runs through the islands. It was earlier called the Andaman Trunk Road. Today, around 30 per cent of this road is in a pathetic condition. I am not opposing the project. We have not taken any decision on it.
I have travelled from Indira Point to Diglipur. This is from the south of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the north. Many urban and rural roads are in a deplorable condition. The BJP government should first provide basic [amenities such as] drinking water, electricity, roads and employment. Once we have these, we can appreciate them for thinking about a mega project.
The environmental cost of the mega project is also huge because it will take over 130 sq kms of rainforest land, home to many endemic species. It could also have significant impacts on rainfall and heat in the Great Nicobar island. Do you have any environmental concerns with this project?
No doubt there will be environmental impact from this project. But as of today, our stand is that the BJP government should first give us all the details about this project. We need transparency. And environmental concerns should be addressed.
Development always has some environmental costs and we cannot oppose only on environmental grounds. But the problem is that the government is not revealing its plans. They should speak to the people about this project.
