An assault on culture and nature: Why Lakshadweep is against Administrator Patel
www.thenewsminute.com
In many more ways than one, the residents of the Lakshadweep Islands take pride in their traditional culture, while maintaining significant environmental safeguards to protect the island. The islands are protected under special provisions where liquor sales are not allowed, outsiders cannot buy land there, moreover, non-residents cannot visit the islands without special permission from the administration. But for the past few months, there has been an uneasy disquiet among the islanders and for last few days, the hashtag #SaveLakshadweep has been spotted on social media.

Further, under this proposed regulation, the regulation also allows for a ‘plan’ which will indicate land or zones that can be identified for parks, industries, residential or commercial use, national highways, arterial roads and so on. Under section 72, it also gives power to the Planning and Development Authority to evict anyone who is found to occupy land under a final scheme formulated under the proposed law. “If the Planning and Development Authority is opposed or impeded in evicting such person or taking possession of the land from such person, the District Magistrate shall, at the request of the Planning and Development Authority, enforce the eviction of such person or secure delivery of possession of the land to the Planning and Development Authority,” the draft says.

Patel has also allegedly given orders to widen the roads and raze houses, despite the fact that Lakshadweep has very few vehicles and mostly only two-wheelers.

“We are happy to have wider roads, but when they propose to widen existing small roads by destroying houses on either side, how can we agree?” questioned National Congress Party (NCP) Lakshadweep President, Bunyamin. “The islands already have space constraints. Many families will just have one house, what if they lose that? Some islands are just 500 meters wide, so if they acquire land to widen, these people will have to live by sea,” he told TNM.

The fascists are back at it again, trying to forge the nation in the image of Hindutva!

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 also say that Patel has also directed to cut the non-vegetarian menu from midday meals.

“It is not that we were self-sufficient, we were dependent on the mainland. But that doesn’t mean that we can be taken for granted. Things were all fine until December 2020. Now they say that our children won’t get non-veg dishes as their midday meals. Until now, over the years, kids were served with non-veg dishes. Unlike in the mainland, we don’t get good vegetables here. Non-vegetarian food and beef are a part of our culture,” Fathima, a resident of Minicoy, told TNM. “Every celebration we gather together in the village houses. We don’t have celebrations at home even during Eid. When these amendments are implemented, we will not be able to have a peaceful life.”