Behind the Save Lakshadweep appeal: Why are the locals up in arms?

The quaint islands of Lakshadweep have been witnessing protests happening for quite some time. The trigger behind these protests is a chain of reforms that have been introduced by the new administration, Praful Khoda Patel, who replaced Dineshwar Sharma after the latter succumbed to a severe lung disease on December 4, 2020. 

Lakshadweep is a Union Territory that is directly under the control of the central government. The islands are protected under special provisions where alcohol is not allowed. No non-resident can purchase land, and for non-residents to visit the island, they need special permission from the administrator.

Now, the 'Save Lakshwadeep' campaign has got further amplified after a few prominent celebrities supported the cause. Let's look at the situation on the island. 

Why are the protests happening?

The present administrator Praful Khoda Patel was the former home minister of Gujarat and a BJP Leader. After he took charge of Lakshadweep, he announced multiple reforms which have not been well received by both the locals and its neighbour Kerala. 

The main issue has been the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 or the LDAR. This gives absolute power to the administrator to remove or relocate any islander from their personal property for town planning or developmental activities. 

Lakshadweep is an ecologically sensitive zone, and laws like this, locals say, may disturb the ecological balance. 

The absence of a local government implies direct control of the Centre who are often unaware of the local situations. Thus, this bill will give absolute power to the government and all its arms to remove any islander from their property. 

The islanders complained that no public consultations were held before these measures were announced. They consider these measures to destroy their traditional life and cultural diversity.

Some other contentious measures

Beef Ban: The island is a Muslim majority island that speaks Jeseri, a dialect of Malayalam (except for Minicoy, where they speak Mahal). The administration has introduced the draft Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation 2021, which will ban the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks. It also bans transportation, selling or buying of beef products. The administration has also directed to cut non-vegetarian food from the midday meals. Non-vegetarian food is considered an integral part of the diet of the islanders. Hence this move was not received well by them.

Anti-Social Activities Regulation Bill: Lakshadweep has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. So naturally, when the administrator introduced the Anti-Social Activities Regulation Bill, the people were not happy. The bill threatens to put all those behind bars who oppose the government. If implemented, it gives unwarranted power to the administration to detain anyone for up to a year without public disclosure. 

Lifted ban on the sale of liquor: Liquor was banned on the island for cultural and religious reasons. Earlier, there was just one resort on the island of Bangaram that served liquor. The rest of the islands were non-alcoholic zones despite being a major tourist destination. However, the new administration has decided to lift this ban to further promote tourism. The locals believe that this will destroy the region's social fabric and increase crime.

Diverting cargo to Mangalore: The island has always had close ties with Kerala. The local businessmen relied on the Beypore port of Kerala for most of their business. So, when the administration introduced measures for diverting all cargo to Mangaluru, it received a major backlash as it attempted to destroy the unique lifestyle of the islanders and their relationship with Kerala, with whom they share deep cultural ties.

The Panchayat Poll controversy: As per the draft notification, any member with more than two children shall be disqualified from contesting the gram panchayat election. It is to be noted that, as per Niti Aayog, the fertility rate of Lakshadweep is 1.6 (2013) compared to the national average of 2.3. So, expectedly such a rule would trigger anguish panic among islanders over who can or cannot contest the panchayat elections.

Covid Management: Lakshadweep recorded the first case of Covid-19 only in January this year. It escaped the wrath of this pandemic owing to strict protocols it followed all of last year. 

As per the standard procedure, anyone who enters the island would be required to be in quarantine for 14 days, followed by an RT-PCR test. Only then were they allowed to enter the island. However, the present administration has diluted the norms and said that only a negative RT-PCR would be enough to enter the island. Today, not only does Lakshadweep have nearly 1000 active cases, but it also among the top places in India which have recorded the highest vaccine wastage.

How did the protests get the nation's attention? 

Recently, Kerala MP Elamaram Kareem wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind where he alleged that many casual and contract labourers had lost their jobs due to the administration's changing rules. 

Moreover, he said that the administration has also demolished the sheds where the fishermen kept their nets and other equipment because they supposedly violated the Coast Guard Act. These temporary sheds constructed by the earlier administration as an exception are now being demolished without warning. Many prominent celebrities like actor Prithviraj and footballer CK Vineeth have also supported this movement on social media. 

The political war of words

The Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed these protests as the handiwork of vested interest groups who have spread misinformation to create a communal rift between people. The party state president K Sundaran had tweeted that radical Islamist organizations supported these issues. National Vice President of the party and in charge of Lakshadweep, AP Abdullakutty, said that Praful Patel was trying to implement the development dream of Narendra Modi in Lakshadweep. 

However, there is a major rift within the BJP, with 8 of its office bearers resigning from the party on Tuesday to protest against the administration's decisions. The resignations include former state vice-president M C Muthukoya, treasurer B Shukkoor and BJYM former general secretary Mohammed Hashim. The BJP Lakshadweep unit had earlier written to Prime Minister Modi on April 20 seeking his intervention, but they received no reply. 

The Congress, CPI(M) and Muslim League have joined hands in protesting against the administrator who is accusing of 'saffronizing' the island. 

Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep police has also arrested four people, out of which 2 are students, for sending threatening messages to the administration. 

• Save Lakshadweep
• Lakshadweep
• Praful Khoda Patel
• Lakshadweep administrator
• Islanders
• beef ban
• cargo
• Kerala
• Prithviraj
• BJP
• controversy