Rahul Gandhi likely to visit Great Nicobar this weekend

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Great Nicobar this weekend, people aware of the matter said. Commuters ride a bus past Campbell Bay at Great Nicobar island (AFP FILE)He was invited by the Tribal Council of Great Nicobar recently to discuss concerns of the Great Nicobarese tribal community over infrastructure projects coming up on the island. Gandhi is likely to visit Kolkata on Friday and then fly to Port Blair on Saturday, before travelling by helicopter to Great Nicobar, according to those aware of the matter. Captains of the Tribal Council said they had invited Gandhi to discuss concerns about diversion of tribal land. “Our main concern is diversion of tribal land and land from our pre-Tsunami villages. From what we gather, at least 5-6 of our pre-Tsunami villages will be impacted. Authorities have said their plan for the transshipment project is still in draft stages and that the Great Nicobar Holistic development project will ensure a swift connection of the tribal communities here with the mainland. But, we want to be sure that tribal land is not diverted and forests are not destroyed,” said a captain. HT reported on January 22 that members of the Tribal Council of Great Nicobar said the Andaman and Nicobar administration had asked them to give up claims to some of the villages where they lived before the 2004 tsunami — a request they are not keen to accept as these villages are integral to their culture and heritage. In a meeting with reporters in the capital on Thursday, the members of the Tribal Council referred to a January 7 meeting at Andaman Public Works Department Guest House in Campbell Bay with UT administration officials, including those from the deputy commissioner’s office and the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS). During the meeting, they said, they were told to issue a “surrender certificate” for some ancestral villages. I write on the environment and climate crisis and I believe these are the most important stories of our times.