Letters to The Editor — February 18, 2026

Great Nicobar project

The National Green Tribunal’s clearance of the ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar mega project (February 17) is deeply troubling not merely for its environmental implications but also for what it signals about institutional accountability in matters of public interest. The language of the order — invoking “strategic importance”, “adequate safeguards”, and finding “no good ground to interfere” — appears less like rigorous judicial scrutiny and more like broad administrative endorsement.

Strategic necessity, however, must be clearly defined and consistently demonstrated. What precisely constitutes “strategic importance”, and how does this designation justify irreversible ecological risks? At a time when questions persist about India’s strategic posture on critical external challenges — from unresolved concerns regarding Chinese incursions along the border to policy adjustments that appear aligned with U.S. geopolitical pressures — the invocation of strategic imperatives in domestic development decisions demands greater transparency. Strategic importance cannot become a convenient and elastic justification for bypassing environmental prudence, scientific caution, and democratic scrutiny.

Equally concerning is the Tribunal’s reliance on assurances of “adequate safeguards”. Environmental damage in fragile island ecosystems is not easily reversible. The project also raises serious questions about the rights and welfare of local communities, particularly indigenous groups whose relationship with land and forest is integral to their survival.

More broadly, the decision reflects a disturbing trend in which institutions tasked with safeguarding public and ecological interests appear increasingly deferential to executive claims.

Aditya Das,

Bhowali, Uttarakhand

Congress-DMK alliance

The Congress knows pretty well that it cannot win even a single seat in Tamil Nadu without the wholehearted support of the DMK. It would be disastrous for the national party were it to join Vijay’s party, the TVK, which has yet to prove its winnability in any election. If the Congress continues to needle the DMK, the DMK leadership should distribute seats meant for the Congress to the DMK’s other alliance partners.

Tharcius S. Fernando,

Chennai