Nicobarese tribal councils object to draft election rules, cite traditional consensus system

Tribal councils from three Nicobarese island groups have formally objected to draft rules proposed by the Andaman and Nicobar administration for conducting elections to their self-governance bodies. In written submissions, the councils from Little and Great Nicobar, Kamorta (Nancowry), and Katchal Island have argued that the existing traditional system is consensus-based, time-tested, and already aligns with democratic values, and that introducing electoral processes could lead to rivalry and division within the community.

The draft rules, published on May 15 under a 2009 Presidential Regulation, aim to reorganise Nicobarese villages into constituencies, prepare voter rolls, delimit boundaries, and provide for five-yearly elections to village and tribal councils. They also prescribe reservation of leadership positions for women and detail procedures for candidature, nomination, polling, and the administrative oversight of the councils. A 30-day window for public objections and suggestions closed this week. The administration has subsequently scheduled a public meeting on June 30 in Sri Vijaya Puram to discuss the draft.

The Nicobarese councils have requested the withdrawal of the draft, stating that it interferes with their traditional self-governance structures which have functioned for centuries. The Great Nicobar Tribal Council noted that since independence, government representatives have repeatedly assured the community that their customs and ways of life would be protected. It added that the community has long held elections for captains and tribal councils through a process it has perfected over hundreds of years, and that the new rules were neither sought nor needed.

The councils further pointed out that the draft fails to recognise the fundamental social organisation of the Nicobarese, which is based on joint family and kinship structures known as tuhets, hokgnonks, or komanaich. They described the proposed rules as too complex and asserted that the existing system “works.” The objections also raised concern that the draft, while claiming to enhance autonomy, actually hands over the election process entirely to bureaucrats and grants the district administration an absolute veto over council decisions—thus, in their view, diminishing the constitutional protections granted to their traditional governance.

Apart from the tribal councils, the Congress party in the islands has also submitted objections to the draft. The administration has not yet issued a response, and the public meeting is expected to provide a platform for further dialogue.