Former A&NI Chief Secretary said Shompen tribe must ‘adopt modern lifestyle’ brought by GNI project, alleges Tribal Council
The Shompen are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group and have settlements near Galathea, where a power plant is being proposed; Council claims Nicobarese concerns also ignored
Tribal leaders from the Shompen community have accused the Andaman and Nicobar island administration of attempting to force the isolated indigenous group into adopting a "modern lifestyle" as part of the Great Nicobar Island development project. The project includes a proposed power plant at Galathea, situated near Shompen settlements.
During a meeting on July 16, then-Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar informed the Shompen leaders that their traditional way of life "cannot continue" and that they must "adopt a modern lifestyle" with the GNI's development. He also hinted at the possibility of building a settlement for the Shompen once the project advances, according to the Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar.
The Council alleged in a statement on Monday that Kumar, who served as Union Labour Secretary after the meeting, did not address their concerns and has not responded to inquiries about the allegations. Two years ago, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav had stated in a written statement that the GNI infrastructure project would not disturb or displace the Shompen people.
The Tribal Council claims that its concerns about the GNI project, raised during the July 16 meeting, were ignored and omitted from later directions issued by the administration. They are scheduled to meet with administration officials again this week to discuss the township plans for the GNI project.
At the July 16 meeting, the Council reiterated their demand to relocate to their ancestral villages along the west coast of Greater Nicobar and questioned why their consent had not been sought regarding wildlife reserve notifications. They pointed out that administration instructions related to the July 16 meeting only addressed the Nicobarese tribe's 2017 letter and 2019 representation, while omitting the Shompen's concerns.
The meeting with the Chief Secretary did not clarify the Shompen community's issues, and they expressed contradictory versions from the Chief Secretary and a member of the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Sangathan on relocation and project-affected villages. Despite assurances that Nicobarese hunting rights would be retained in wildlife sanctuaries, the Shompen members said this does not address the lack of consent for wildlife reserve notifications.
The Tribal Council emphasizes that many of their developmental and infrastructural needs raised in 2017 and 2019 remain unresolved.
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