SHOUTS OF ‘GO BACK’ GREET LAKSHADWEEP ADMINISTRATOR PATEL ON ARRIVAL

Mon 14 June 2021:

Across Lakshadweep, Monday was observed as a day of protest by islanders, who dressed in black and shouted slogans of “go back” from their homes as Union Territory Administrator Praful Khoda Patel landed there around 2.30 p.m.

Black flags were also raised from some homes as the protests rent the air. Meanwhile, police officials were taking the videos of the protest, and also of homes from where black flags were flying

This is his seventh visit by Patel after taking over as the new Administrator. He is slated to stay there for a week.

For a while now, Kerala’s Congress and the ruling Left here have been up in arms and have expressed solidarity with the islanders, who are on a protest mode after new measures and accusing Patel of trying to implement the “Sangh parivar (RSS) agenda”.

ANGER BREWING ON INDIAN LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS OVER ‘ANTI-MUSLIM’ LEGISLATION

Earlier in the day, Patel on Monday ducked his travel to the island through the Cochin airport, said Congress MPs from Kerala.

Hibi Eden and T.N. Prathapan had arrived in the VVIP lounge of the airport here after getting information that Patel is arriving here on a special flight to fly onward to Lakshwadeep.

“We had information that Patel would land here on a special flight and from here, would take a scheduled Air India ATR flight to the island. But after we reached here, we found out that he is not landing here and instead is flying from Daman and Diu,” said Eden.

“All know that we (Congress) are on a protest against the ‘reforms’ of the administrator, which are against the interests of the islanders. We came to meet him to request him to allow a delegation of Congress MPs to visit the island and also to see that no new rules should be enacted which do not have the concurrence of the islanders,” added Eden, who represents the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency, where Lakshadweep has a full-fledged office.

Beef ban and alcohol permit

Patel has also proposed a ban on the sale of beef and the slaughter of cows, calves, and bulls.

According to Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, 2021, no person can directly or indirectly sell, transport, offer for sale, or buy beef or beef products in any form anywhere in the Muslim-majority islands, with violators facing up to 10 years in jail.

A section of upper-caste Hindus considers the cow a sacred animal, whose slaughter is banned in many states across India. Cow slaughter is one of the right-wing BJP’s main populist planks.According to another proposal, non-vegetarian food options on the menus of “anganwadi” (neighbourhood) state-run preschool childcare centres could also be removed, while the administration has banned beef from the midday meals provided to schoolchildren.

Recently, the administration shut down dozens of “anganwadi” pre-schools.

Patel is also planning to permit the opening of liquor bars and shops, claiming the move will boost tourism on the islands, which are currently a non-alcoholic zone due to their Muslim population.

Resorts on Lakshadweep’s inhabited islands cannot supply liquor, which is allowed only at resorts on the uninhabited island of Bangaram.

Manikfan says liquor is not “socially acceptable and culturally desirable” for Lakshadweep.

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