Public anger has been simmering in the overwhelming Muslim-concentration Lakshadweep, which occupies a unique place in India’s geographic and cultural diversity. Reason: on the pretext of development, the new administrator of the archipelago Praful Khoda Patel is allegedly making brazen attempts to disturb the socio-cultural, demographic and natural uniqueness of these islands. Patel, a former BJP leader and close confidante of the PM Narendra Modi and administrator of the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, was given additional charge of Lakshadweep following the death of Dineshwar Sharma last December. However, since taking charge of Lakshadweep, he promulgated a slew of regulations without consulting the local elected representatives.
Now the “Save Lakshadweep “movement has snowballed into a large campaign with people from various quarters across the world joining the cause.
NCP Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal PP, who met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise him of the situation, slammed Patel, alleging the latter has made a mockery of the democratic process while implementing the new draft notification. In an interview to Radiance Viewsweekly, Faizal alleged the new administrator is facilitating land grab in the name of tourism and development. He also accuses Patel of using beef and liquor issues as diversionary tactics. Excerpts:
Q: What is the genesis of the problem which is now snowballed into a major political controversy?
A: Before the advent of Patel as administrator, Lakshadweep was the most peaceful area and a tranquil abode of corals, lagoons and a peaceful people. The moment he came here, he started enacting those laws not suitable to the archipelago’s social, cultural environment and ecosystem. During the tenure of Dineshwar Sharma, a retired IPS officer and former IB chief, there was no discontent among the people. Now a widespread protest has erupted in the islands as people feel that the very existence of them is under threat.
Q: What are those draft laws that have generated widespread anxiety in Lakshadweep?
A: This gentleman (Patel) took additional charge in December but he hardly stayed 20 days in Lakshadweep. Without understanding the culture, social fabric and way of living of the people, he started to implement certain things which are in his mind. And without pre-legislative consultation, he introduced three drafts of law. Under the Draft Panchayat Regulation 2021, the Administration aims to bar people with more than two children from becoming a member of the gram panchayat and to clip the wings of democratically elected representatives. The Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR) may destroy the ecology of the islands and pave the way for outsiders to buy lands.
The Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (commonly known as PASA or the Goonda Act elsewhere) will be used to crush dissent, and the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation (LAPR) bans beef on the Muslim-majority islands. These drafts have been introduced without local consultation and are presently with the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary approvals. I’m not sure if it incorporated comments by the people before it was forwarded to the ministry. Only the LDAR is probably left.
Q: Do you think the administrator is acting on his own or at the behest of the Centre?
A: See, as a Member of Parliament, this is my second term. During my first term, this government was there. When Mr. Patel was appointed administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, similarly to Lakshadweep also an IPS officer Sardar Farooq Khan was appointed by the same government but the way he conducted the business was really in democratic essence. He consulted with people on every step he had taken. His successor Dineshwar Sharma also followed this democratic tradition.
Q: You made serious charges against the new administrator?
A: You have to read what Mr Patel has done in UT of Dadar, Haveli. He introduced certain unscientific laws there and he is trying to implement these laws in Lakshadweep too. In Haveli, there are no Muslims, he demolished houses of Adivasis, former MP Mohan Delkar committed suicide alleging that Patel had allegedly demanded huge money. He miserably failed to understand one thing that Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is part of mainland and Lakshadweep cannot afford to have mining, quarry, railways, tram, and 15 meter wide roads as these will destroy its fragile and unique ecosystem of the archipelago.
When the entire world was suffering from the Covid first wave, for a year, Lakshadweep did not record any case of Covid-19, thanks to stringent quarantine protocols and testing of inbound travellers. But he diluted Covid-19 SOPs by doing away with mandatory quarantine for travellers at Kochi and Kavaratti. This led to a spurt in infections in subsequent months and Lakshadweep has reported over 7,300 cases and 28 deaths.
Q: So, You mean that he did not consult the elected representative before effecting any decision?
A: Earlier, every administrator had consulted local representatives. We have a two-tier panchayat system and a district planning committee in which chairpersons of village panchayats, the MP, the district panchayat president, members and officers are members. The district panchayat is the final legislative forum of Lakshadweep. Therefore, any such promulgation is needed pre-legislative consultation which is the norm of any democracy. As MP, I am also a member of district panchayat and I am entitled to see a draft and it should be in the public domain. However, no consultation has taken place at all.
Q: Do you think this new notification also threatens the culture and ecology of Lakshadweep?
A: You must understand that liquor is banned in Gujarat where Patel was an MLA and Home Minister when Modi was the Chief Minister. He is saying that liquor permission in Lakshadweep is meant for tourism development. We are not against tourism development. But local entrepreneurs are still waiting to begin projects, submitted to the Lakshadweep administration years back.
And, what’s the ideology behind the beef ban? There is no ban on beef in states like Goa, Mizoram and Manipur, where BJP is ruling. Similarly, Lakshadweep, like Kerala, is a place where people are accustomed to non-vegetarian food. So, what is the need for such a piece of legislation? Praful Koda Patel’s intention in pushing for liquor and beef ban is to just divert the issue.
Q: What is your take on banning beef from Midday meals for students?
A: Midday meal diet was changed without consulting the midday meal committee members and I am also one of the members of this committee. Beef is the cheapest nutritious food a child can get. Taking away this without any consultation is arbitrary. I was not consulted at all. Mr Patel’s intention was to keep a midday meal contract with Akshey Patra, who is close to him.
Q: Did you meet Patel to apprise him of people’s resentments on his actions?
A: I met Mr Patel when he first visited Lakshadweep. We all members from Panchayat and MP had the first interaction with him, that was the only meeting. After that, this gentleman started drafting resolutions and promulgation without any pre-legislative consultation.
Q: You took up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. What assurances he has given to you?
A: I explained to the Home Minister all the things and the whole situation and all those drafts which were introduced since taking charge in December by Mr Patel. I discussed in detail with him the drafts of three regulations.
I also told him that Patel’s motive is to destroy the traditional life and cultural diversity of the people of Lakshadweep through wrongly drafted anti-public and anti-social orders and promulgation. He was also informed that the plans put forward by the administrator are in direct contravention of the Supreme Court orders and the findings of the Ravindran Committee that specifically said that all development projects relating to the islands have to be discussed and have to be finalised after taking into account the view of the grama panchayats. In view of the mounting protest in Lakshadweep against the reforms introduced by Administrator Patel, I have also sought the recall of the Administrator, in whom the people of Lakshadweep have lost faith.
The Home Minister has assured that the new draft laws for Lakshadweep which are being opposed by the islanders will not be finalised without consulting elected representatives. He has also given word that consent of the people of Lakshadweep will be taken into consideration before they are finalised.
Q: In case the Central government goes ahead with these draft laws, what will be your next course of action?
A: See, if the promise given by the Home Minister is not kept, and materialised then we will continue our protest. We put two demands before the Home minister; one is to withhold draft resolutions, and the other to recall the administrator Patel.
If these are considered well and good, otherwise we will fight politically and legally.