Hyderabad: Describing the proposed regulations in Lakshadweep as "arbitrary and draconian", former Chief Information Commissioner of India Wajahat Habibullah said that the tribal inhabitants of the archipelago must be taken into confidence for any plans designed for the future of the area. He appreciated Home Minister Amit Shah's commitment that the proposed regulations would be discussed with the population.
The population of Lakshadweep is up in arms against Administrator Praful Khoda Patel, appointed in December last year, for a series of regulations he has proposed to the Central Home Ministry to implement in the archipelago in the Arabian Sea. An estimated 70,000 population is inhabited in 11 of the 37 tiny islands. In an exclusive interview with Khursheed Wani of ETV Bharat Urdu, Habibullah, who has served as Administrator of Lakshadweep during his long career in bureaucracy, said that wrong notions have been floated on security, development and future of the Lakshadweep islands.
Read:| Lakshadweep residents sit on hunger strike against administrative reforms
"There is no need for the imposition of new laws. An Island Development Authority headed by the Prime Minister and composed of the top-most environmental and development experts has already set up the rules and regulations for Lakshadweep. They need to be adhered to," he said. Disagreeing with the incumbent Administrator's proposition to develop Lakshadweep on the lines of Maldives, Habibullah said the environmentalists have rejected this model very long ago. "The top-level experts' committee of Island Development Authority, after visiting the Maldives, has strictly warned against implementation of Maldives model in Lakshadweep. Do they want the extremism and radicalism that is engulfing the Maldives to come to Lakshadweep? I urge (the authorities) to use their brains," he said.
He said the people of Lakshadweep were the best protectors of the islands. "The people of Lakshadweep are basically tribals. They are also Muslims. They have been given Scheduled Tribe status because they are tribals. They are close-knit. If anybody from outside goes there, he is instantly identified and handed over to the navy or police. The highest guarantee on the security are the local people there," he told ETV Bharat. He referred to a recent incident when a boat used by Sri Lankan smugglers was identified by the locals and immediately captured by the authorities.
He said it would be highly irresponsible on part of the administration to put the local population in trouble by introducing laws aimed at compromising their rights on the property. "The way the administration is acting, it creates doubts in mind that they want to displace the population and turn this into a commercial property," he said adding, "Where would the people go. They have been living there for centuries. Unlike in Andamans where people from Bengal and Tamil Nadu also settled, the people in Lakshadweep are all natives."
Read:| 'Lakshadweep administration must take locals into confidence'
Asked if the rising contact of the local people with Northern Kerala is a cause of concern he said the people have always been connected with Kerala. "They have the connection of trade, language and communication. What is wrong in that," he asked. "The population is peace-loving. The crime rate is very low. There is no need to implement the Gunda act," he said, referring to the proposal of introducing Lakshadweep Protection of Anti-social Activities Regulation.
Habibullah sees a ray of hope in Home Minister Amit Shah's commitment that the people of Lakshadweep would be taken into confidence before the implementation of the proposed laws. "The Lakshadweep MP quoted the Home Minister as having assured him that nothing would be done without the consultation with the local population," he said. "However, the Administrator is quiet. This raises doubts," he added. "The administrator has said that he is moved by the pitiable condition of the people. If that is the case why do not you talk to the people."
Wajahat Habibullah advised the Central government to appoint a full-time Administrator to Lakshadweep. "The incumbent administrator is not full-time. He visits once in a month or two. His last visit contributed to an uptick in Covid cases. There is no positive contribution. The activities are becoming a stigma on India's honour. It must be stopped," he said. He said there was no need to propose Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation as the mainstay non-vegetarian for the local population is the seafood, crabs and octopuses. "The society there is casteist. The Brahmin caste only eats bovine animals. Personally, I agree that bovine animals are not good for the ecology but why should there be a regulation," he said.
The population in Lakshadweep is staging a protest against the proposed regulations by the new administrator. Due to Covid protocol, the people held a day-long protest inside their homes on June 7. They exhibited placards asking the Central government to desist from implementing anti-people laws. Some youngsters did underwater demonstrations. However, the local administrator continues to issue new directions to the population. On June 4, the fishermen were asked to carry a government official inside their boats before going into the sea.
On May 31, the Kerala assembly passed a resolution proposed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging the Central government to recall Lakshadweep Administrator and take immediate steps to protect the lives and livelihood of the islanders. "Attempts were being made to impose a saffron agenda and corporate interests on the people of Lakshadweep," the resolution passed with fewer amendments, read.
"The administration has begun enforcing a Goonda act in places where crimes are scarce. A dictatorial system of governance is being developed," the resolution said. A group of 93 former bureaucrats including Wajahat Habibullah also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene and ensure the safety of the ecologically fragile Lakshadweep. The Prime Minister Office has not responded to the developments in the archipelago.
