The residents of Lakshadweep observed Monday, 14 June, as 'black day,' protesting administrator Praful Khoda Patel’s visit to the Kavaratti island in the Union Territory.
Wearing black robes, holding black flags and placards, the islanders stood outside their houses, following all COVID-19 protocols.
"Call back Khoda Patel"; "Roll back anti-people, anti-environment laws and reforms"; "Lakshadweep is under Khoda Patel virus, we fight Patel with democracy” — were some of the messages the protesters conveyed.
The protest was called by the all-party ‘Save Lakshadweep Forum’, a forum to protect the islands and the indigenous population from draconian measures. They demanded the Union government call back Praful Patel and withdraw all the controversial reforms that he proposed for the islands of Lakshadweep.
According to some reports, Lok Sabha members Hibi Eden and TN Prathapan were set to meet Praful Patel in Kochi. However, the Lakshadweep administrator took a special aircraft to Agatti Island without landing in Kochi on Monday.
Meanwhile, three BJP leaders from Minicoy island in Lakshadweep resigned from the party on Monday, in protest. In the month of May, around eight BJP leaders had resigned. Two days ago, several BJP leaders and workers, too, had resigned in protest against the sedition case filed against Aisha Sultana, who hails from Chetlat island and works in the Malayalam film industry. She was charged for speaking against the administrator and referring to Praful Patel as a 'bio weapon' in a television discussion.
For the past several months, residents of the 10 inhabited islands of Lakshadweep have been protesting against the 'anti-people reforms' of the administrator. On Monday, 7 June, they had observed a hunger strike across the islands. On 30 March, the islands witnessed widespread protests. Since the lockdown was announced in the islands on 31 May, the residents have been protesting outside their houses. As per the sources, almost all households have been taking part in these protests.
On 7 June, the islanders protested not just against the administrator but also against Lakshadweep Collector Asker Ali. In a recent press meet in Kochi, the Lakshadweep Collector remarked that the unrest over the current administration's proposed regulations is a misleading campaign. He also said that these were being led by people living outside Lakshadweep and not the residents of the islands. While the islanders have been vehemently opposing the proposed administrative reforms, many in Kerala, including actors and politicians, have been extending their support and virtually protesting with the island residents.
Ever since Praful Khoda Patel, a former Gujarat BJP minister, took charge as the administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020, there has been resistance to many controversial regulations that he has been trying to push through. Many residents have taken objection to the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation (LAPR), Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation, Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LADR) and the amendment to the Lakshadweep Panchayat Staff Rules, among others.
The administrator has been accused of skipping public consultation and pushing for the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, which could open up indiscriminate infrastructure building and allow the administration to oust residents who have been living in the islands for decades. The administrator has also allegedly closed down all dairy farms operated by the Animal Husbandry Department, and the draft law in the name of ‘animal preservation’ intends to ban slaughter, transportation, and selling or buying of beef products. Islanders said that Praful Patel has also directed to cut the non-vegetarian menu from midday meals.
However, in an interview to the Economic Times, Praful Patel defended these reforms, stating these laws are intended for the development of the Union Territory and that some of the laws will not be used against its residents. He also blamed islanders visiting Kerala during Ramadan for the rising in COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory. However, after Praful Patel took charge in early December 2020, he relaxed the quarantine and testing rules. Following this, Lakshadweep reported its first COVID-19 case in January 2021.
(This piece was originally published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission. Read the original story here.)
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