SHOMPENS STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL

PRELIMS BITS

The Shompens, an indigenous tribe of the Great Nicobar Islands, face existential threats due to government-led infrastructure projects, notably the Great Nicobar Project.

About the Shompens

• A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in India.
• Population: 229 (2011 Census).
• Dependent on tropical forests for sustenance, with a diet primarily of pandanus, seafood, and wild game.

Impact of the Great Nicobar Project

• Proposes infrastructure development, including:
  • An international container terminal.
  • A greenfield airport.
  • Power plants.
• Requires 166.10 sq km of land, encroaching on 130.75 sq km of forest.
• Threatens traditional land use, matrilineal culture, and kinship systems.
• Risks increased disease exposure and disruption from outsider contact.