Port Blair, Sept 22: The remote Campbell Bay turned into a forum of questions and caution on Sunday as a Congress delegation led by Dr. Vikrant Bhuria, MLA and National Chairman of the All India Adivasi Congress, and Prof. Munish Tamang, General Secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, arrived to take stock of the ambitious Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Development Project.
Addressing a packed community hall, the delegation balanced hope with apprehension. On one hand, the project is pitched as a gateway to long-awaited infrastructure, jobs, and connectivity for one of India’s most remote islands. On the other, residents and environmental advocates warn it could come at a steep cost—uprooting tribal communities, straining fragile ecosystems, and wiping out biodiversity unique to Great Nicobar.
The visiting leaders chose not to offer a ready-made verdict. Instead, they stressed the need for a people-centric approach—a model of development that uplifts the islanders without eroding the natural wealth that sustains them. “The voices of the people must remain at the centre of this debate,” Dr. Bhuria remarked, after interacting with families who fear displacement as well as youths who see opportunity in new avenues of livelihood.
Prof. Tamang echoed the sentiment, underlining that progress cannot be measured solely in terms of concrete and ports. “If development sacrifices biodiversity and tribal identity, it risks becoming regressive rather than progressive,” he said.
The Phoenix Post understands that the team’s visit has left Campbell Bay with more questions than answers—but perhaps that is the point. The GNI Project is at a crossroads: it can either become a model of sustainable island development or a cautionary tale of irreversible loss.
