Lakshadweep, India’s smallest Union Territory is in the news, as a protest is being held to save the unique culture of islands, attacking its administrator, Praful Khoda Patel for his new regulations in the region. Since, there is very little information available in public domain about Lakshadweep, which is the group of 36 islands off the Kerala coast in the Arabian Sea, it is imperative to highlight that as per the 2011 census, Lakshadweep has 96.58% Muslim population.
What is hidden behind picturesque and scenic Lakshadweep? Illegal distribution of alcohol and drugs among youth, movement of ISIS terrorists, recovery of 3000 crores of drugs, illegal anchoring of foreign ships and many more dark secrets. Isn’t the protest held to cover up all the illegal activities in Lakshadweep?
It was Kerala’s Islamist group SDPI, and SSF, who had started the campaign, “Save Lakshadweep” which is now being supported by Congress Party and CPIM as well as self-proclaimed liberals, who are running the hashtag of #SaveLakshadweep on Social Media demanding the removal of Praful Khoda Patel, administrator of Lakshadweep. Flood of fake news is quite expected. All the news portals as well as print media conducted media trial and sentenced Praful Khoda Patel guilty, but no media tried to know the administrator’s point of view.
Praful Khoda Patel was appointed as the administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020, after the death of Dineshwar Sharma, the then administrator of the island. Patel is also administrator of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Patel is a BJP leader, who had served as a Minister of State for home under Narendra Modi’s Chief Ministership in Gujarat for two years.
After Praful Khoda Patel assumed his office of Lakshadweep administrator, he was submitted multiple reports of growing consumption of drugs and alcohol among the youth in the island. Patel conducted 18 raids across the islands to protect youth from drug menace. Patel, a tough administrator, also brought down anti CAA/NRC posters placed by radical Islamists.
The administrator stressed that the Central government is committed to the development of Lakshadweep, which could become India’s Maldives and rejected the allegations that the regulations initiated by him against local traditions and culture. However, he is being targeted from all the corners for his courageous steps to improve the tourism opportunity of the island.
Patel was accused that it was his decision to relax quarantine norms that resulted in the rise of Covid-19 positive cases in Lakshadweep. Geographically, the archipelago, a group of islands’ main connection to the mainland was Kerala, which was one of the worst infected states in India, it was expected that Kerala’s surge in Covid-19 positive cases would reflect in Lakshadweep as well. Also, Collector Asker Ali clarified that the surge in Covid-19 positive cases was due to two main reasons—locals increased their movements for economic activity and the very high rate of the new strain.
The Left liberal cabal with pseudo secular parties are vehemently opposing “Goonda Act” on the island. They claim that Lakshadweep is crime free with no serious cases being reported. However, facts are shocking. Lakshadweep has the highest rate of crime against children reported in India in 2019 by states.
Indian Express reported “illegal berthing of foreign vessels at Lakshadweep is a huge security concern for agencies” on 8 February 2019. The article further explained that the Custom Department had sent reports to the Central Government alerting about ships which suspiciously anchored close to Lakshadweep, which has no Custom ports. Swiss yacht, which had called on non-customs ports at islands, was seized by Customs Preventive Divisions, Kochi on 7 February 2019. Incidents of crew members without visa and permission reaching a jetty on the island are frequently reported.
There were intelligence reports in May 2019 that a boat carrying 15 ISIS terrorists had set off from Sri Lanka to the Lakshadweep. A meeting of senior officials of local administration, Navy and Coast Guard had been held at Kavaratti during that period.
On 18 March 2021, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) had seized narcotics worth ₹3000 crores off the Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep. A swift air-sea coordination operation by Coast Guard detected three suspicious boats off Minicoy islands and intercepted them to recover a high grade of 300 KG Heroine and 5 AK-47 rifles with 1000 live rounds from Sri Lankan fishing boat Ravihansi. 19 crew members were apprehended for further investigation.
The Administrator lifted the prohibition on liquor on the island to promote tourism. The Lakshadweep Prohibition Regulation 1979 bans liquor in the UT. In 2003, TATA Economic Consultancy Services, which proposed a 20 Year Perspective Plan to develop tourism, suggested a relaxation of the prohibition rule. But, due to pressure from Muslim majority population, no administrator showed the courage to bring any change. CPIM leaders are the same hypocrites, who reversed liquor prohibition in Kerala, but they are opposing in Lakshadweep.
Beef was banned. Proposed law prohibits slaughter of cows, calves and bulls, but male or female buffalos can be slaughtered with a certificate regarding fitness from the authority. 99.38% of India’s population lives in areas under Cow Protection Laws. Such prohibitions are in place in other Union Territories as well. But, it is Muslim appeasement, which is making all hue and cry.
When action was taken to curb Illegal distribution of alcohol and drugs among youth, movement of ISIS terrorists, recovering of 3000 crores of drugs, illegal anchoring of foreign ships and many other illegal activities, the culture of Lakshadweep came into the danger zone. It is protestors, who are hell bent upon destroying Lakshadweep. Aren’t they?
