'Lakshadweep administration must take locals into confidence'

Lakshadweep, which has great security and strategic significance for India, is grabbing headlines due to the recent regulations introduced by the administrator of the Union Territory, Praful Patel. The new proposed rules, Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, is viewed to be against the will of the people of the tropical archipelago, writes ETV Bharat senior correspondent Chandrakala Choudhury

New Delhi: Lakshadweep, a strategically important region for India, is grabbing headlines due to the recent regulations introduced by the former Gujarat minister and currently the administrator of the Union Territory Praful Khoda Patel.

The new rules proposed by the administrator under Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, are viewed to be against the will of the people of the tropical archipelago.

The contentious proposals also include disqualification of people with more than two children from contesting in village council elections and to take over the land belonging to the locals for development works. It also seeks to implement the Activities Regulation bill, 2021, or the 'Goonda act', in the islands where the crime rate is already very low.

Besides these, proposals such as the beef ban and permission to liquor sale have drawn criticisms from experts and raised concerns among the local population of the island, mostly inhabited by Muslims.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, senior journalist and political analyst Shekhar Iyer said, "The rules that have been circulated are draft rules and have not been finalized yet. The idea is that the present government wants Lakshadweep to be developed into a tourist spot on lines of the Maldives."

"There are two elements to this debate - One is, should Lakshadweep be developed in a manner that would threaten its ecology. The other argument is about the security aspect. From the security point of view, there are fears and apprehensions in North Kerala regarding the recruitment of ISIS etc," he said.

As far as opposition to the draft rules is concerned, especially to the two-child policy, Iyer said such a policy is already in place in the country. On developing Lakshadweep as a tourist hub, there is a need to regulate the serving of liquor for foreign guests.

"It does not necessarily mean a proliferation of liquor sales in the island. It is not that liquor shops will open all over the island and disturb the local population. Though there are genuine fears about the kind of development that will take place, or whether outsiders will settle down in the island and change its demography, as after all Lakshadweep was a part of the Malabar district," Iyer said.

"So, we have seen certain fears have erupted as far as the demographic changes are concerned. But then, a lot more clarity is needed because no one wants the ecology of the region to be trampled upon, at the same time, wishes and sentiments of the local people need to be taken care of. Moreover, there is a need to guard against the vested interests," he said.

"I am told that some passenger ships ferry between Lakshadweep and Kochi, but there is a proposal for a freight cargo, that goes from a place called Beypore, being asked to shift to Mangaluru for some security reasons".

"Therefore, there are some security issues related but at the same time, a lot more clarity is needed as to what exactly is proposed. And if there is opposition or resentment among people, that too needs to be addressed. After all, a prosperous Lakshadweep involves the people of Lakshadweep and they too must feel involved", he explained. "My only question is whether the controversy is being spurred for political reasons," he wondered.

Iyer underlined that Lakshadweep has the potential and it needs to be developed but that development should not be at the cost of ecology. "Perhaps, the administration too must engage in a dialogue. If publication of draft rules has created confusion and fear, then obviously, there are some political forces at work", he said.

When asked if the new rules would hurt the coastal or the maritime security in Lakshadweep, Iyer said, "The government is concerned about the integrity of the littoral states, be it Lakshadweep or the Andaman and Nicobar. These areas are naturally under the security scanner of our authority but at the same time, we need to promote trade and tourism in the region as this would generate employment opportunities."

"I am not sure whether these proposals will affect the security but if somebody is keen on keeping the area closed and does not want outsiders, then there is a need to examine the issue."

We have just abolished Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir with great difficulty because of similar local interests and that even led to a situation like the ’90s when there was an exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. Whenever there is agitation on religious or demographic lines, we need to be more conscious and aware of the issues. Because right now, all I am saying is there is a huge condemnation for whatever is happening in Lakshadweep,” he pointed out.

Why is Lakshadweep strategically important?

The Union Territory of Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 36 islands, located some 400 km to the west of Kerala and offer 4,00,000 sqkm of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to the country. Despite its ecologically fragile character and degrading biodiversity, the primary factor that provides Lakshadweep military significance is its potential in terms of safeguarding India’s western seaboard.

Its geographic proximity to the Indian Ocean Region littoral states such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka further enhances its criticality. Lakshadweep has attained even greater significance in the wake of the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai too.