Why have protests erupted against Lakshadweep's Administration?

The collective calmness of a scenic natural spot is being threatened by political turmoil, and India's smallest Union Territory is sending ripples across the nation. For the past few days, unrest has erupted in the Lakshwadeep Islands, and islanders, political organisations and activists are protesting against the administration due to its arbitrary legislations. Mostly, the anger is directed towards one man - Praful Khoda Patel.

Who is Praful Khoda Patel? Praful Khoda Patel is a BJP leader and a confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also served as the Minister Of State for Home In Gujarat. He is the administrator of the Union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and was handed the reins of administration of the Lakshwadeep Islands on 5th December 2020. This was after the death of former administrator, Dineshwar Sharma. This appointment raised objections as such a post was previously only given to IAS officers. Moreover, after only six months of holding office, Patel's introduction of a slew of questionable proposals led to simmering discontent among island inhabitants and has led to opposition parties uniting against the BJP.

What are the main issues of contention?

One core reform being opposed is the Lakshwadeep Development Authority Regulation 2021, which empowers the administration to remove/relocate islanders from their properties, for any town-related or developmental activity. According to its provisions, the government can change existing land ownership on the island, choose any land for developmental activities and once chosen, cause the owners to lose control over the piece of land. This has caused wide resentment, as people suspect that this may be used to usurp holdings of property held by islanders, 94.8% of whom belong to the Scheduled Tribes. Moreover, protestors are concerned about the ecologically fragile islands, 97% of which is covered with forests. Out of the 10 inhabited islands, the largest, ‘Androth’, has an area of 4 sq km, where the density of population is 2,312 per sq km. Thus, protestors are raising their voice against the administration's "developmental" strategies in such an area. Another reform is the Prevention of Anti - Social Activities Act introduced in January, in which a person can be detained by the government without public disclosure for up to a year. This reform is being considered "anti-people" because Lakshwadeep has one of the lowest crime rates in all UTs. This is also called the "Goonda Act."

The third issue is the Lakshwadeep Animal Preservation and Regulation 2021, which prohibits the slaughter of cows and, thus, bans beef consumption on the islands. This has become a bone of contention as more than 60% per cent of the population consumes beef in the archipelago. Moreover, non - vegetarian food has also been scrapped from midday meals.

The other string of proposals also includes the introduction of liquor shops on three more islands and a change in Panchayat Regulations, according to which people with more than two children cannot contest for local elections. The administration has also introduced measures to divert all cargo to Mangalore, and the move has gained criticism because local businessmen prefer to rely on Kerala's Beypore port due to their cultural affinity with the state.

Lakshwadeep's COVID - 19 crisis -Until last year, the Lakshwadeep Islands, home to about 65,000 people inhabiting 10 Islands out of 36, boasted of being a "COVID - 19 free - zone." However, it reported its first case on 18th January 2021 and now has had 7000 cases. This occurred majorly because, before the appointment of Praful Khoda Patel, the administration had kept in stringent measures to prevent the outbreak of COVID - 19 in the Union territory.

The archipelago has three entry points - from Kochi and Kozhikode in Kerala, and Mangalore in Karnataka. Under the old SOP, passengers were quarantined for seven days in guesthouses and hotels in Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru before their RT - PCR test. Even after arriving on the islands, they had to undergo a compulsory 14-day quarantine. However, soon after his appointment in December, Patel relaxed the restrictions and introduced a new SOP. All one needed to enter Lakshwadeep was a negative RT - PCR test from an ICMR approved laboratory. Many blame this ease in restrictions as the reason for the current first COVID - 19 wave, in which the positivity rate is more than 60 per cent.

So, who all are protesting?

The protests first found a voice in Kerala MP Elamaram Kareem, who wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind stating that many of the reforms are causing casual labourers to lost their jobs. He demanded the withdrawal of the proposals or the removal of Patel from his post as administrator. #SaveLakshwadeep has been trending on social media platforms lately, with prominent personalities like CK Vineeth and Prithviraj giving their support to the movement. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed his concerns over the proposed bills. MPs from Congress have also written to the President and the Prime Minister, seeking removal of these reforms. Moreover, 8 BJP youth wing members have also resigned, citing opposition to the reforms introduced by Patel. Even the general secretary of BJP in Lakshwadeep has raised his objections in a letter to Prime Minister Modi. In Kerala, the assembly is all set to pass a unanimous resolution expressing concerns over the Territory of Lakshwadeep. Congress, AIYF, and DYFI workers have also taken the streets in protest in Lakshwadeep.

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