Indian authorities plans spell catastrophe for uncontacted island tribe

A gaggle of Shompen males within the Nice Nicobar Island rainforest

One of many world’s most remoted tribes shall be worn out if the Indian authorities presses forward with a mega-development mission on their island, in response to a brand new report printed right this moment.

The report “Crushed: How India plans to sacrifice one of many world’s most remoted tribes to create “the brand new Hong Kong”” is printed by Survival Worldwide.

It warns that uncontacted Shompen individuals, who stay solely on Nice Nicobar Island within the Indian Ocean, is not going to survive if the Nice Nicobar Improvement Challenge goes forward.

The mission consists of plans to construct a mega-port, protection base, energy station and new metropolis of 650,000 individuals, and herald round 1,000,000 vacationers and different guests to the small island every year.

© Ministry of Ports, Transport and Waterways

Indian authorities visualisation of the Nice Nicobar mega-port, simply certainly one of a number of large developments which are set to trigger widespread ecological destruction on the Shompen’s solely island.

Survival Worldwide mentioned right this moment that it’s sending the report back to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, UN Particular Rapporteurs, and different UN officers, and urging them to name for the mission to be scrapped.

Thirty-nine main genocide students wrote to the Indian authorities in February 2024, warning that the mission would wipe out the Shompen if it went forward.

Round 300 Shompen individuals stay within the lush rainforests of the island’s inside, nearly all of whom are uncontacted. Nice Nicobar is a part of the identical island chain that’s house to the uncontacted Sentinelese individuals, the place an American influencer was arrested this month for making an attempt to contact the tribe.

Survival Worldwide Director Caroline Pearce mentioned right this moment: “It’s appalling that the authorities in India are urgent forward with this mission that can wipe out the Shompen, one of many world’s most remoted tribes. Whereas they’re prosecuting somebody for going to the island of the Sentinelese, they can not justify constructing a metropolis of 650,000 individuals on the island of their uncontacted neighbors the Shompen. 

“This mission would appear absurd if it weren’t so lethal. The Shompen have the appropriate to outlive, and simply wish to be left in peace. The federal government should permit them to take action by scrapping this mission, fairly than urgent forward and condemning the Shompen to annihilation.”