Tribal Affairs Minister’s promise to look into Nicobar project clearances ‘mildly’ encouraging: Congress
Party leader Jairam Ramesh, however, doubted how much power Union Ministers have over their own portfolios in a government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Calling Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram’s promise to look into the clearances granted for the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Project only “mildly” encouraging, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday doubted how much power Union Ministers have over their own portfolios in a government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also called for the Tribal Affairs Minister to review all decisions taken in the last 10 years that “weakened tribal rights”.
Great Nicobar Project | Plan for the paradise
Mr. Ramesh, Congress’ General Secretary-in-charge, Communications, was responding to Mr. Oram’s remarks with The Hindu, published on Monday. In the interaction, Mr. Oram had said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs would be looking into the forest clearances granted for the mega infrastructure project while highlighting his intent to focus on forest and land rights issues of tribal communities during his term.
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Mr. Oram’s remarks had come as the Congress pushed hard to withdraw clearances granted for the project and ground-up review of it citing complaints that it would be detrimental to the environment on the island and the people who reside there — including the Shompen — a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
Responding to Mr. Oram’s promise of looking into the complaints against the project’s clearances, Mr. Ramesh said in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), “The very first interview given by the Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram indicates that he is not averse to a review of the 72,000 crores project in Greater Nicobar Islands that is a perfect recipe for ecological and humanitarian disaster. This is mildly encouraging. I say ‘mildly’ because the REAL decisions are taken for him by the non-biological PM and his band.”
Also Read | Congress demands withdrawal of clearances to Great Nicobar infrastructure project
He added that “while he’s at it”, the Tribal Affairs Minister should also ensure “independent” functioning of bodies like the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and called for a review of the Forest Conservation Rules, 2022, over which then NCST chief Harsh Chouhan had raised serious concerns before resigning.
He also called for Mr. Oram to review all other decisions taken between 2014 and 2024 that “weakened tribal rights while giving environmental and forest clearances” — including the Forest Conservation Amendment Act of 2023 and the Biological Diversity Amendment Act of 2023.
Mr. Ramesh also urged that the Tribal Affairs Minister strengthen the forest rights movement, which was “launched through the Forest Rights Act (2006) in April 2011 from Menda Lekha Gram Sabha in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra”.
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