Congress leaders led by AICC secretary P. Vishwanathan submitted a memorandum of opinion to Ankit Agarwal, Administrative Officer of the Lakshadweep Administration’s Kochi and Mangaluru offices, on Friday, demanding a review of the recent “anti-people regulations” implemented in the islands and their revocation.
“Lakshadweep was a place where people and the administration were in complete harmony with each other. This congruence may not exist any further, as your administration seems to betray its people by introducing various draconian and undemocratic reforms. This has created a situation of confusion and uncertainty about the future,” the memorandum said.
The prejudicial and discriminative decisions include the ill-conceived Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 in the ecologically-sensitive area. It will contravene the integrated island management plan formulated as per a Supreme Court directive. There is no scope for “town planning” in Lakshadweep, and real estate development schemes contemplated in the regulations will be highly destructive of the environment, culture, and ethos of the island. Massive land acquisitions in the name of development were never attempted in the densely-populated Union Territory over the past 73 years.
Moreover, forcible dispossession of the native inhabitants, all of whom are members of Scheduled Tribe communities, from their land to facilitate real estate projects is illegal and unconstitutional. An authority cannot become a regulator and real estate developer at the same time. It is very clear that the real intention behind the regulation is land-grabbing, dispossession of natives from their land, and thrusting an unsustainable development model for the island, as opposed to the Supreme Court directive. An official-centric development model is outdated and not in existence anywhere in India.
The invoking of the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation, 2021 (Goonda Act) in Lakahadweep, where crime rate is next to nil may lead to misuse of its clauses. It may also lead to infringement on freedom of speech against unlawful acts by the authorities, the memorandum said.
Beef ban, liquor promotion
Similarly, the ban on beef where 100% population is non-vegetarian is against their cultural and religious customs. The orders to shut down dairy farms operated by the Animal Husbandry Department and to dispose animals, in order to promote Amul products in the isles, are instances of unilateral action. The decision permitting liquor in hotels and resorts in three islands in the name of tourism promotion goes against the ethos of the Muslim majority island which remained a non-alcoholic zone for decades.
The dismissal of casual and contractual workers in various departments has left them with an uncertain future. Uncalled-for decisions like changes in quarantine standard operating procedures resulted in the first COVID case in the isles on January 18. This led to its rapid spread and death of over two dozen people, said the memorandum that was submitted as advised by Tariq Anwar, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala and Lakshadweep. The other signatories included Mr. Viswanathan and MPs Benny Behanan, T.N. Prathapan, and Hibi Eden.
