Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Friday, June 5, 2026 — World Environment Day — declared his opposition to what he called the 'destruction' of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, urging the public to sign a petition to protect the archipelago.

Posting in Hindi on X, Gandhi wrote: 'मैं अंडमान और निकोबार के विनाश के खिलाफ़ पूरी शक्ति के साथ खड़ा हूँ' ('I stand with full strength against the destruction of Andaman and Nicobar'). He described the islands as India's most precious natural heritage and called their protection 'my duty' for present and future generations.

Context

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory comprising over 500 islands, are among the world's most biodiverse marine and forest ecosystems. The archipelago is home to high endemism in flora, fauna and coral reefs, and hosts four Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups including the Sentinelese and the Jarawa. Gandhi's post, timed on World Environment Day, linked to an external petition calling for the islands' protection.

Gandhi has previously raised concerns about environmental and tribal rights in the islands. His post on June 5 is consistent with a pattern of opposition-led scrutiny over large-scale infrastructure proposals in the region.

Policy Backdrop

The central government's Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island project, which received in-principle approval around 2021, envisages an outlay exceeding Rs 70,000 crore for an international container transshipment terminal, a greenfield airport and a township. Environmental and forest clearances were processed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2022–2023, involving the diversion of over 130 sq km of forest land.

Conservation groups and tribal-rights advocates have argued that the approvals did not adequately account for cumulative ecological impact or ensure sufficient consultation with indigenous communities. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands sit astride the Malacca Strait, a factor successive governments have cited to justify accelerated strategic infrastructure in the region.

Stakeholders and Impact

The islands' Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups — including the Sentinelese, Jarawa, Onge and Shompen — stand to be most directly affected by large-scale land diversion and construction activity. Environmental scientists have flagged risks to nesting grounds of the leatherback sea turtle, endemic bird species and fragile coral reef systems that sustain local fishing communities.

Gandhi's call to sign the petition is aimed at building public pressure on policymakers. Opposition parties and conservation organisations have argued that the scale of proposed development warrants a fresh, independent cumulative environmental impact assessment before further work proceeds.

What's Next

Attention will now focus on any response from the central government or the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to the renewed public pressure. Proceedings before the National Green Tribunal or higher courts linked to the Great Nicobar project, as well as updates on compensatory afforestation and tribal welfare commitments, will be closely watched by activists and legal observers.

With Gandhi lending his voice on World Environment Day, the petition is likely to draw wider national attention and could reinvigorate parliamentary debate over the ecological and human cost of large infrastructure projects in India's most sensitive island ecosystems.