Part 1 - Thoughtless Environment Activism over Development of Great Nicobar Island
As usual, intellectuals claiming to be”Environmental Activists, Scientists and Civic organizations” are obstructing the development of the strategically most significant Great Nicobar Island. Call them by whatever name readers may wish to, the partisan media is covering their articles without highlighting the island's geo strategic significance, particularly with the rise of China.
Three key examples of “Environmental Activism” that adversely impacted economic development include: protests on Jaduguda Mine, the first uranium mine in Jaduguda village, Purbi Singhbhum district, that commenced operation in 1967; protests by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy since September 2011 to close the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant site and to preserve the largely untouched coastal landscape; and protests leading to closure of copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi since May 2018, among many others.
Even in the above cited examples, the war cry of opposing groups was the same – adverse impact on the environment among others.
The issue that needs to be addressed is simple: “is stalling economic development by “Environmental Activists” be given priority over economic development and geo strategic security interests of the nation?” What about the “time and cost over runs”?
India missed a golden opportunity to develop the Southern area of the Great Nicobar Island by allowing Indian traders to resettle themselves when the British handed over Hong Kong to China in July 1997.
Issues raised by “Environmental Activists” includes: wrecks environment; irreversible damage to the pristine rainforests; coral reef destruction, spell extinction of 300 indigenous Shompen community; adverse impact on settlers; destroy a sensitive nesting area for leatherback sea turtles, dolphins and other species like saltwater crocodiles, Nicobar crab-eating macaque and migratory birds due to dredging, port development and shipping activity. The coral reef along the coast of the bay could be destroyed by dredging during the port's construction, India's environmental watchdog EIA has warned. The township, airport and thermal power plant will all be built in areas with dense forest cover, which will "significantly" affect biodiversity, the EIA said in a draft report.
Salim Ali, the Ornithologist, advised governments during the 1970s to preserve the environment for the sake of conserving “Birds Sanctuary”. Today, his NGO is spearheading the agitation to preserve the “Biosphere Reserve” with many others joining their bandwagon supported by international agencies.
None can rule out the “CHINA HAND” behind the scenes. Also, exhaustive data is available of “Fishing Trawlers” of Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and others exploiting resources in our EEZ.
The administration has envisaged a Megapode sanctuary on Menchal Island (1.29 square kilometers), a Coral wildlife sanctuary near Meroe Island (around 2.73 sq km) and a 13.75 sq km leatherback turtle sanctuary at Little Nicobar Island. If Bird Sanctuary’s in Panjim, Goa, J & K and other States have been promoted; surely the same can be done on uninhabited islands in the region.
Some of the media headlines include: “Misguided Mega-Projects Threaten to Devastate the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”; 'Scrap Great Nicobar Project, it Disregards Indigenous Community Rights'; Will India's megaproject sink Great Nicobar island? Great Nicobar development projects disregard risk in earthquake-prone areas; and so on.
None can deny that the Great Nicobar, located in a zone with significant tsunami and earthquake dangers along an active subduction system and near multiple geological fault lines, is very seismically unstable, with an average of 44 earthquakes per year. They cite the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that hit the Nicobars severely, killing thousands. However, neighboring Indonesia is located in the same Zone, but its islands are fully developed.
Let me highlight that most of Asia, especially South and Southeast Asia, is prone to earthquakes. Some of the highest hazard regions include: Subduction zones: Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Guam, and New Zealand. Other areas that are particularly susceptible to intense earthquakes include: Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea. The Great Sumatran Fault is another highly active fault line in the region. In 2004, this fault generated a 9.3 magnitude earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami, which was the largest in recorded history. Yet, all such nations have progressed by adopting anti-Seismic designs. Japan is the best example.
Yet, dozens of scholars from around the world recently expressed the same concerns in an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to halt construction and pointing to the risks posed by the expected demographic shift.
Let me highlight that the “Blind Governments” in the past 70-years woefully neglected to exploit opportunities of the Great Nicobar islands not only in militarily strategic fields but also more importantly in the economic field. “Out of Sight; Out of Mind”, exemplifies the majority of “We the People” of India. “Better late than Never”!
India must take a leaf out of China’s initiatives/offensives in the South China Sea. Over the past two decades, China has converted submerged reefs into artificial islands by dredging to include: Mischief Reef (1504 acres), Subi Reef (1078 acres) and Fiery Cross (684 acres). China has fully militarized the artificial islands by airfields, aircraft hangers, radar systems and deploying anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby. The function of those islands is to expand the offensive capability of the PRC beyond their continental shores.
Now, they are laying EEZ claims to almost touch the Philippines and other nations. The other parties – the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei – claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5tn in goods are shipped every year. China routinely objects to any action by the US military in the region.
Whereas, India over the first 70-years failed dismally to develop military bases in islands other than in Port Blair and Car Nicobar despite having over 500 islands in the Andaman & Nicobars. Consequently, poaching or big-game fishing is conducted by alien boats, Myanmar, Thailand; Indonesia for harvesting in the EEZ is quite a regular feature on an annual basis. They catch large open- water species such as tuna, barracuda, marlin, sailfish, carangids, Snappers etc., process them on High Seas and export them directly to other parts of the World. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has been identified as one of the important drivers affecting sustainable management of fish stocks worldwide. Their cumulative loss to Indian exchequer over the past 75-years may be over trillions of dollars.
In my humble view, understanding geostrategic imperatives from national security interests is most critical. In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 had highlighted the geo strategic significance of Oceans: “Mediterranean Ocean is an ocean of the Past; Atlantic is an Ocean of the present; and Asia-Pacific is the Ocean of the future.
And, Admiral Zumwalt – 1974-75 -also highlighted “India’s emergence as super power must be accepted as an emerging reality. And, it must be prepared to assume a policing role.” Surely, Great Nicobar islands hold the key to the effective policing role of the gateway to Malacca straits.
The island is located some 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) east of India's mainland, close to Indonesia's Sumatra and only hundreds of kilometers away from Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. It currently has around 8,000 residents. Banda Aceh in Indonesia is at a distance of just 80 nm.
India holds the trump card in the Great Channel South of Great Nicobar to settle scores in any confrontation with China on the land frontiers. Shore based UCAVs, surface to ship missiles, fighters, submarines, underwater anti submarine nets and mines hold tremendous strategic significance that cannot be squandered. Hopefully, “Environmental Activists, Scientists and Civic organizations” are aware of China's strategy of "String of Pearls": building a network of military and commercial bases and ports in the Indian Ocean region. Almost 80% of oil that China imports passes through the Great Channel. Economically significant is that the Indian Ocean is a treasure chest of raw material resources next only to pacific.
The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has approved a mega project, worth `72,000 crore, for the “holistic development” of Great Nicobar. Approved plans to be implemented over the next 30 years include: construction of an international container terminal; a dual-use airport for military and civilian purposes; a gas, diesel, and solar-based power plant; and a green field township spread across 166 sq km of the 910 sq km island.
Wise learn from others lessons; fools from their own lessons; and idiots refuse to learn from others lessons!! Take the ongoing war in West Asia. The HOUTHI’s have almost paralyzed international shipping in the Straits of Hormuz. Learn from its lessons.
Let me record extracts of my infatuation with Island territories over the past 60 years. It dates back to the late 1960s with an article in a “Gold Medal Competition”. Followed my “THESIS” on "Defense of India’s Island Territories” in 1984 that was graded A+ by the Madras University. Furthermore, the “Indian Express” after visiting the College of Combat, Mhow, reviewed my article in the Combat Magazine in their piece on 31st August 1990 (authored after a visit to the Island Group particularly Indira Point of Great Nicobar) whose extracts are given below:
“India should urgently develop the full power potential of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands to protect its security interests in the South Asian region. …….. The step was more than over due in view of the emerging and futuristic geo strategic significance of the island region. Certainly, the region offers challenges and can act as a window of opportunity in all fields and if the strategies are imaginatively formulated and bilaterally executed. The region can easily turn into the “promised land” of the 21st century, thereby automatically promoting security”.
Subsequently, the Deccan Chronicle in its Editorial on 18 December 1995 provided a strategic perspective of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The extract of the highlight is reproduced:
“Having inherited the islands from the British, we continue to display strategic neglect or lack of concern towards them. This is mainly due to their remoteness – over 1000 kilometers. A case of out of sight, out of mind. There is an interesting issue which needs proper evaluation. The islands are geo-strategically inextricably linked more to the SE Asian region than to our mainland. This implies a definitive role of our nation in the SE Asian region; yet we have maintained the legendary ostrich stance and failed to assert our position. Ipso facto, our inactivity is responsible for the diminution of our status in the SE Asia Region.”
My infatuation with islands, once again, made me visit the islands in 2003-2004 as Senior Visiting Fellow and Consultant of N.I.R.D. And, I continue to follow developments on Google Earth.
None of “Environmental Activists, Scientists and Civic organizations” can overlook the geo strategic significance of Andaman & Nicobar group of islands, particularly the strategic significance of the Great Nicobar island – North of the main international sea lane, the Great Channel where all the three major sea lanes from the Cape of Good Hope, the Gulf of Aden and the Straits of Hormuz converge to move to the Malacca Straits. Over 300 Chinese vessels pass through it every day. Also China has been maintaining surveillance of India’s activities through its ships in the region.
Hopefully, Environmental Activists, Scientists and Civic organizations may like to retract from their pro-active protests against development of the Great Nicobar Island to ensure national security interests in posterity. Of course, the Judiciary must set aside all petitions filed by them.
Viewed from geo political, economic and military points of view, development plans override or take precedence over concerns of Environmental Activists, Scientists and Civic organizations. Promoting, consolidating and advancing national security interests should be the sole concern of all alike.
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