Praful Patel’s Lakshadweep Policies: ‘Developmental’ or Arbitrary?

The idyllic islands of Lakshadweep are brimming with a deep resentment against their administrator Praful Patel.

Other than the fact that Patel's decision to ease COVID norms has been blamed for a massive spike in cases in the islands, there's also a sense of disquiet amongst Lakshadweep's inhabitants over a slew of new policies that have been introduced by Patel since his appointment five months back.

Some of the new contentious policies that are being criticised to be "undemocratic and anti-people" include a ban on beef in the Muslim majority archipelago, a preventive detention law that makes provisions for detention without a warrant for up to a year and the draft panchayat notification, which proposes that any body with more than two children can be disqualified from contesting the panchayat polls.

While in the political front, several Rajya Sabha MPs and Opposition leaders have written to President Kovid criticising Patel's "autocratic style" and urging the President of India to recall Patel along with his proposals, on social media platforms, #SaveLakshadweep has been trending as thousands of citizens have been trying to draw attention to what's happening in the islands.

Although Patel says that it's all in the name of development, can his policies adversely impact the economic and the socio-cultural fabric of these islands as people are complaining? Are the objections raised against his proposals justified?

For this episode we spoke to Wajahat Habibullah, a retired IAS officer, the first CIC of India and the former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, senior journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, and Sabith Jesri, a native of Lakshadweep. Tune in!