Social media is oozing with #SaveLakshadweep posts after a string of policies were introduced in the island by Administrator Praful Khoda Patel.
Lakshadweep Islands are a group of island situated south of Kerala in the Indian ocean, with a majority of people living here are Muslim fishermen.
There has been a massive outrage by opposition parties, Lakshadweep islanders, residents of surrounding Kerala and thousands of people across the country as Administrator Patel passed orders that are to “develop the island”.
The Administrator alone holds the power to make changes in all areas, like Health, Education, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry amongst the many others, which make him the ultimate authority on these subjects well after he added Zilla Parishad to this portfolio.
These policies are being slammed due to the negative impact they can bring to the locals who have been living peacefully till now. These include:
1- Prevention of Anti-Social Activities bill (goonda act), 2021: A draft prevention detention law under which the government can detain anyone without public disclosure for up to one year. The measure is being taken despite the region having one of the lowest crime rates and no case of any child missing or murdered, according to the NCRB’s data. Under this Act, any resident can be imprisoned without a trial.
2- Draft Panchayat Notification: This policy denies any person having more than 2 children the right to contest in the elections to become a Panchayat member.
3- Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021: Under this policy’s changes, Patel can remove or relocate any islander from their home and take over these houses in the name of developing a smarter city.
4- Animal Preservation Regulation 2021/ Beef ban: Under this draft law, no person can directly or indirectly sell, store, keep, offer, expose or transport beef or beef products for buying or selling it in any form in any place of Lakshadweep. This has sparked unrest in the Union Territory as Muslims constitute over 95 percent of the total population on the island.
5- Covid rules changed: The island that had registered zero covid cases last year witnessed a string of infections this year, the first reported on 18th January 2021. The UT now records over 6,000 cases after Patel passed an order allowing anyone to enter Lakshadweep if he has a negative RT-PCR test report taken only 48 hours before coming.
The sudden changes taken within just 5 months of his appointment have been criticizing by people all over the country
Who is Praful Khoda Patel?
He recently came under the spotlight after the alleged suicide of MP Mohan Delkar of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, as the deceased had mentioned him in his suicide note. The MP’s son had claimed that Patel forced his father to shell out Rs. 25 crore or face a false case under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act. During this time, Congress had demanded him to be relieved of his duties and book him under abetment to suicide and murder charges.
A former BJP member, Patel had won Gujarat assembly elections from Himmat Nagar of North Gujarat in 2007 for the first time in his political career. He replaced Amit Shah and was appointed as the home minister of Gujarat in 2010 after the latter was arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. He remained in his post till 2012.
In December 2020, he was made the administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. He was the first administrator who did not have a civil services background. The previous administrators were all either IAS or IPS officers. IPS Farooq Khan served during 2016-2019, IAS Mihir Vardhan held the post in 2019, and IPS Dineshwar Dharna was the administrator during 2019-2020.
Today, despite creating the ruckus and increased insecurity, The Administrator believes that these reformations are not anti-people but for the development of Lakshadweep. ThePrint quoted him explaining that the moves taken need not instill fear in people who did not do anything wrong. Speaking about the citizens’ worry of their lands being snatched, he said it is “misplaced and other people’s agenda” as “nothing like this will happen”. “My only agenda is the development of Lakshadweep,” he said.
Questioning the reason for disinterest in tourists visiting Lakshadweep and choosing the Maldives instead, Patel asked: “Why is it that people are waiting to go to the Maldives but are not even willing to come to Lakshadweep? It is to develop tourism and for long-term benefits that we are introducing the LDAR.”
Unsurprisingly, the central government has supported these moves saying that these steps will remove local corruption and induce development.
However, the measures aren’t being welcomed by locals as several fishermen were left crying inconsolably after they lost their boat sheds in the demolishment carried out by the government. The authorities said that the constructions on coastal areas are in violation of the Coast Guard Act.
Opposition is raising alarms and urging the Indian President to take action in the matter. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday wrote to the Indian President over the policies. In his letter, Mr Venugopal said Patel is introducing authoritarian measures while instilling fear and apprehension in the hearts of people, which is ultimately forcing locals to protest.
Joining in is Elamaram Kareem, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, who has also written to the president alleging that Patel’s orders had the motive of destructing the traditional lives and rich cultural heritage of the island and its people. None of the decisions was made, taking people or their needs, food, and livelihood into consideration.
In his letter, Mr. Kareem said, “The undemocratic and anti-people regulation in the name of Animal Preservation, which intends to ban slaughter, transportation, selling or buying of beef products, is one among such orders. This is a blatant onslaught on the people, who depend upon dairying and growing of bovines as a means of livelihood.”
Meanwhile, Kerala High Court said that it is aware of what’s happening in Lakshadweep as they “don’t need to rely on social media” and have sources of their own, Justice Vinod Chandran said while hearing PIL.
Staying the transfer order of 2 assistant public prosecutors from two islands to Kavarati, the court questioned the administrator the reason for their transfer. Seeking the details from the sub-judge of the island, the HC asked the prosecutors to return to government service.
Two-time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Tuesday that Patel’s arrival into the island has robbed the peace and tranquillity of Lakshadweep that remained there for ages.
“All along the administration was done by an IAS officer and things changed for the worse with the arrival of Patel. The introduction of the Goonda Act at a place like an island, where the crime rate is relatively low, and harassing people by using it to take action against those people who protested during the CAA and NRC. Also, the way the quarantine rules was imposed there also led to the spread of Covid. Also, the act of deleting beef from the menu and the revoking of prohibition rules have all caused unrest and these things should not happen,” he said.
