The Shompen are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group living in the rainforests of Great Nicobar, with a population of only a few hundred. Many live in voluntary isolation, relying on hunting and foraging.
The Great Nicobar Project, officially "Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island," is a transhipment port, international airport, township and power plant spanning more than 160 sq km, with a cost of roughly ₹72,000 crore or more.
Concerns raised by critics. Experts told the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes that 84.10 sq km of the project area lies within the Tribal Reserve used by the Shompen for their livelihood. The project also needs about 130 sq km of forest land. Another worry is population growth: the island is projected to grow from under 10,000 people to 350,000 by 2050, which raises contact and disease risks for an isolated community. On process, the Tribal Council withdrew its earlier no-objection certificate, citing inadequate information, and critics say the Social Impact Assessment should have treated the Nicobarese and Shompen as stakeholders.
The government's position. It calls the project one of strategic, defence and national importance because of the island's proximity to the Malacca Strait. Officials say that after re-notifying other land as reserve, only 7.11 sq km of tribal reserve would effectively be denotified. The environment minister has assured that the project will neither disturb nor displace tribespeople, and official FAQs say statutory safeguards, including the Shompen Policy, 2015, have been followed.
The core dispute is whether those safeguards are adequate and whether the consultation was meaningful. Critics, including opposition leaders and anthropologists, argue that the Shompen cannot realistically be protected once large-scale development reaches their habitat. The government argues the project is compatible with their protection. The matter remains politically and legally contested.