Known for its scenic beauty and tranquility, Lakshadweep is on the news now of a political controversy. There are tons of posts on social media with the hashtag #SaveLakshadweep calling for the removal of Praful Khoda Patel, the Union Territory administrator.
Praful Khoda Patel is blamed for the Covid-19 surge in Lakshadweep and accused of creating social tensions in India’s smallest union territory. Literally translated, Laskhadweep means an archipelago of 1 Lakh Islands, but it is actually a group of 36 islands, of which 12 are atolls, three reefs, five submerged shores and only 10 inhabited islands.
There are several main focuses of the protests visible on the internet, including social media platforms. Under these raise their voice against Praful Khoda Patel are local residents, politicians like the MP from Lakshadweep, Mohammed Faizal, Kerala’s Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the soccer player CK Vineeth and the actor Prithviraj Sukumar.
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PRAFUL KHODA PATEL
Praful Khoda Patel has emerged as a central figure in the political controversy in Lakshadweep. Praful Khoda Patel is the administrator of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. After the death of Dineshwar Sharma, the then administrator of the island, he received an additional fee for Lakshadweep in December 2020.
Praful Khoda Patel is a BJP leader who served as Minister of State for Homeland under Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial office in Gujarat for two years. His father, Khodabhai Patel, was a leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) who had a close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his early political days in Gujarat.
He received his first central appointment as administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 2016 and remained in that position after the merger with Daman and Diu in 2020.
The appointment of Praful Khoda Patel as administrator of Lakshadweep met opposition as island leaders claimed he was promoting a common RSS agenda. He is said to be the only politician appointed administrator of Lakshadweep. The position was previously held by officials from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Measures or reforms introduced or proposed by Praful Khoda Patel have been rejected by his critics since he took over the administration of Lakshadweep in December 2020.
LAKSHADWEEP A COVID-19 HOTSPOT
Lakshadweep was Covid-19’s green zone during the first wave of the pandemic in India. Protesters claim that the relaxation of quarantine and travel rules by Praful Khoda Patel has made Lakshadweep the “most definite place” for Covid-19.
Lakshadweep has over 7,000 cases of Covid-19. Lakshadweep reported its first Covid-19 cases on January 18 this year, in which 14 people were found positive for coronavirus infection. According to the 2011 Census, Lakshadweep has a population of less than 65,000.
The positivity rate was mostly below 10 and occasionally over 20 percent on certain days.
Protesters say Covid-19 came to the island after the government led by Praful Khoda Patel lifted mandatory quarantine for travelers in Kochi, Kerala.
Quarantine rules were strictly followed under Dineshswar Sharma. Now all a traveler needs is a “negative” certificate to arrive in Lakshadweep. Praful Khoda Patel has claimed the changes were made to boost tourism, the mainstay of Lakshadweep’s economy.
BEEF PROHIBITION AGAINST COW SLAUGHTERING LAW
Praful Khoda Patel proposed the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation 2021, which prohibits the slaughter of cows, bulls and oxen. This proposal is fiercely opposed by protesters who claim Praful Khoda Patel is implementing the RSS agenda to ban beef. However, in India, beef is mostly made up of buffalo meat.
Muslims make up almost 97 percent of Lakshadweep’s population. Most of them are planned tribes. The tribal population of Lakshadweep is approximately 95 percent. The protesters say beef is part of their normal diet.
Another decision that has met with opposition is to remove non-vegetarian foods from school lunch menus. Those who support Praful Khoda Patel cite the constitutional provision calling on the state to enforce a ban on cow slaughter.
ALLOW LIQUOR SALE
Praful Khoda Patel has proposed allowing bars in Lakshadweep to stimulate tourism. Lakshadweep, like Gujarat, has a Prohibition Act that bans the sale and consumption of alcohol. Interestingly, the constitution provides for a ban in India
The move is vehemently rejected by local residents and political leaders. The opposition to alcohol is curious as the majority of the population speak of Lakshadweep Malayalam and have close ties with Kerala, the state with one of the highest alcohol consumption rates in the country.
ANTI-SOCIAL ACTIVITIES REGULATION BILL
Another sticking point is the bill proposed by the Lakshadweep government, led by Praful Khoda Patel, to regulate antisocial activities. The proposed law provides for the detention of a suspect without the need for a judicial arrest warrant.
The protesters have called it the “Goonda Act” and opposed the bill that says Lakshadweep has the lowest crime rate in the country, according to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). Praful Khoda Patel’s argument was that Lakshadweep has seen an increase in drug-related crimes.
DEPARTMENT OF CARGO TO KARNATAKA
The cargo for Lakshadweep used to be docked at Beypore Harbor in Kerala, with which the islanders have strong cultural ties. The one led by Praful Khoda Patel is accused of diverting cargo to the port of Mangalore in Karnataka to aid the BJP-ruled state and disrupt Lakshadweep’s relations with Kerala.
LAKSHADWEEP DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
However, the most controversial of all issues is the Lakshadweep Development Authority’s 2021 ordinance proposed by Prfaul Khoda Patel.
The ordinance, if implemented, would empower the identified government to set up planning and development authorities for the development of an area in Lakshadweep that is classified as having “poor layout or obsolete development” infrastructure.
Only the cantonal areas were kept out of the scope of this ordinance. The authority created would be responsible for the development planning.
The bill is widely opposed, with protesters claiming the bill is aimed at serving “real estate interests” and usurping the small lots of the Schedule Tribe people.
WHY IT’S NOT SO EASY
The government’s focus on infrastructure development in Laskhadweep has increased in the wake of growing Chinese interests in the neighboring Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Lakshadweep is a small area of India but has enormous strategic importance in the Indian Ocean which, with the advent of Chinese activities in the region, has attracted the undue attention of all major world powers. For the same reason, India has pushed development projects in Ladakh and the northeastern states and has recently started promoting tourism in these areas.
The draft regulation aims to “conduct construction, engineering, mining, quarrying or other work” in Lakshadweep as a requirement identified by the government.
This proposal is the most violently rejected by local residents and activists. The protesters point out the ecological fragility of the islands, which are tiny, vulnerable and densely populated.
Androth, the largest inhabited island in Lakshadweep, only extends over 4.9 km² with a density of 2,312 people per km². On the least dense island of Bitra, 271 people live in an area of 0.10 km². The protesters wonder what kind of highways or mega-infrastructure projects could be built on such small areas.
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