A new controversy has erupted in Lakshadweep group of islands over the “reforms” being introduced by the administrator Praful Patel, a BJP leader from Gujarat. Many islanders have come out openly questioning the logic behind the Lakshadweep Administrator’s move to introduce Goondas’ Act and to stop serving beef in the noon meal of school students.
The Opposition parties that include the Congress, CPI(M), NCP and other outfits allege that the reforms are with an eye to destroy the cultural identity of the people and to ‘sell’ the islands to resort owners.
What stood out in the resentment against the Centre’s move was the participation of hundreds of students and youth in the archipelago who alleged that the permission granted to sell liquor in the islands was with a move to spoil the serene atmosphere. “Hundreds of government employees in the Lakshadweep administration have been thrown out their jobs by the administrator for reasons best known to him only. The dairy farms owned and operated by the Administration have been shut down. Milk and dairy products meant for the islands are being imported from Amul in Gujarat,” said Mohammed Faizal Padippura, MP, representing the archipelago in parliament.
Padippura said in a message that the protest was against the blatant misuse of power by the administrator . “Our protest is against the weird anti-social and anti public new legal measures enacted by the administrator. It is against the ulterior motive of the Administrator to destroy the traditional life of islanders through wrongly drafted promulgations,” said the law maker.
But BJP national vice-president A P Abdullakutty said the present chaos created by a section of the people are with ulterior motives. “The permission to sell liquor in the islands have been in existence since the days of former MP late P M Sayeed. The shut down of the dairy farms in the islands was due to financial constraints. There were only 30 cows in these farms which yielded hardly 100 litres of milk per day and the cost of production was Rs 800 per litre,” said Abdullakutty. He disclosed that the Central Government has big plans to convert the islands into a major tourism hub and this would benefit only the local residents. “It is true that the administration has asked the people staying close to the sea to vacate for safety issues. But they are provided with alternative sites to build houses. There are certain cartels in the islands who do not want to see the living standards of the people going up,” said Abdullakutty.
Pinarayi Vijayan, chief minister of Kerala, National Award winning actor Salim Kumar who is a Congress supporter and K K Shylaja, former health minister, are some of the leading lights in Kerala who have come out in the open expressing solidarity with the agitating population of the islands.