The Tribal Council of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has formally alleged that the former Chief Secretary of the territory suggested the Shompen tribe should transition toward a modern lifestyle. According to the Council, these remarks were made in the context of the ongoing Great Nicobar Island (GNI) development project, a massive infrastructure initiative that has drawn significant scrutiny regarding its impact on indigenous populations.

The Shompen are a particularly vulnerable tribal group living in the forests of Great Nicobar. They are traditionally hunter-gatherers and have historically maintained minimal contact with the outside world. The Tribal Council contends that the push for modernization, as allegedly advocated by the former official, threatens the cultural autonomy and physical survival of the tribe. They argue that the GNI project, which includes plans for a transshipment port and an international airport, poses an existential risk to the Shompen by encroaching on their ancestral lands and disrupting their traditional way of life.

While the Tribal Council has voiced these concerns publicly, the former Chief Secretary has not yet provided a detailed public rebuttal to these specific allegations. The situation highlights a growing tension between large-scale economic development goals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the rights of indigenous groups protected under Indian law. Environmentalists and human rights advocates have joined the Tribal Council in calling for greater transparency and a reassessment of the project's impact on the Shompen people, noting that the tribe’s isolation makes them uniquely susceptible to the health and social consequences of rapid modernization.