Rahul Gandhi calls Great Nicobar project 'biggest scam', says it threatens natural and tribal heritage

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Great Nicobar project at Campbell Bay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was "one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against the natural and tribal heritage of the country". He said the project would entail the axing of millions of trees on 160 sq km of rainforest, and called it "destruction dressed in development's language".

In a social media post, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "I travelled throughout Great Nicobar today. These are the most extraordinary forests I have ever seen in my life. Trees older than memory. Forests that took generations to grow. The people on this island are equally beautiful -- both the Adivasi communities and the settlers -- but they are being robbed of what is rightfully theirs."

"The government calls what it is doing here a 'project'. What I have seen is not a project. It is millions of trees marked for the axe. It is 160 sq km of rainforest condemned to die. It is communities that have been ignored while their homes have been snatched away. This is not development. This is destruction dressed in development's language," he said.

"So, I will say it plainly, and I will keep saying it: what is being done in Great Nicobar is one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against this country's natural and tribal heritage in our lifetime. It must be stopped. And it can be stopped -- if Indians choose to see what I have seen," Gandhi added.

The Centre says the Rs 81,000 crore project, which includes a transhipment terminal, a power plant and a township, will boost maritime trade, connectivity and security, which will prove to be a force multiplier in promoting the geo-strategic and economic interests of the nation.

On Tuesday, Gandhi went to Campbell Bay in Nicobar district to meet the tribal leaders against the project. A section of tribal communities is alleging a lack of transparency, environmental risks, and continued neglect of tribal rights by the central government.

Gandhi, who arrived in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on April 26, also criticised corporate influence in the Union territory and stressed that development should prioritise local needs rather than corporate interests.

During his visit, he interacted with the members of Nicobarese tribal community and also met the members of the settler community. He also visited Indira Point and paid tributes to former prime minister, the late Indira Gandhi.

The tribal communities alleged that they are facing considerable hardship due to the proposed project and demanded that the central government take their concerns into account.