Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—Strongly condemning the actions of Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel, several Muslim social and political organisations have said that “the Centre should not treat the island as a colony” and immediately withdraw the new administrator and also take back all the unconstitutional and “Black Laws” passed by him without consulting the local public representatives.
Stating that the actions of Praful Patel intended to “destroy local heritage, culture and economic life, besides disrupting peace and harmony”, Kerala unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), one of the biggest socio-cultural organisation of Indian Muslims, said that Patel, a former Gujarat minister considered to be very close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “is implementing the Sangh Parivar’s agenda.”
In a statement, the JIH said that “he (Praful Patel) wants to convert Lakshadweep into another Kashmir at the behest of the Sangh Parivar”.
JIH described Patel as a “misanthrope” (hater of humankind) and “undemocratic”.
“His so-called reformist steps will have deep and adverse impact on the traditional life and culture of the local people,” JIH opined.
One of the missteps taken by the administrator and considered “anti-people” is to ban the slaughter, sale and consumption of beef and allowing setting up of liquor bars by lifting prohibition, despite strong opposition from the local population, 97 per cent of whom happen to be Muslim as per 2011 census. “Neither the local people, nor any of the local political parties ever demanded it. Patel is imposing his whims on the people,” the JIH statement said, adding that “it amounts to interference with the food habit of the local people”. The administrator has also removed non-vegetarian food from the menu of the school students and ordered that only vegetarian food be served in ‘aaganwadi’ and other government-run schools.
Another contentious action of the administrator is to implement a comprehensive Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (KPASA) Regulation, 2021, or what is called Goonda Act, despite the fact that the incidents of crime in Lakshadweep are the lowest in India. According to JIH, Patel wants to propagate that “Lakshadweep is a hub of crime and drug trade which is a Sangh Parivar narrative”. However, the reality is that there is lowest crime and litigation cases in the island. “There are no cases registered in police stations. Jails are empty. People there live in peace and harmony”, the JIH says. JIH alleges that Patel is threatening to crack down on the dissenters by booking them under KPASA or the Goonda Act under which anybody can be arrested and put behind bars without trial for a period of one year.
JIH has also taken strong objection to the Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR) that gives administrator unlimited powers to acquire the land by removing the islanders from their property and develop them at his whims, or sell them to outsiders, thus generating insecurity among the local population. JIH feels that the draft law is intended to deprive the locals of the right over their land and hand them over to corporates in tourism business. The suspicion of the JIH is based on the fact that Patel, on the pretext of protection of coastal areas, has already got removed the fishermen’s temporary structures on the sea coast that were used by them for safe-storage of equipment like fishing nets etc. “The Administrator, who is centre’s representative, is behaving like an enemy and working for systematic end of the local population by snatching their livelihoods”, the JIH said.
The JIH also condemned the administrator’s order to close down the local government dairies, sell off the dairy cattle and sell Gujarat’s Amul dairy products in the island, at the cost of the local population.
The JIH has also objected to the proposal to bring changes in Panchayat regulations that would prevent people with more than two children to contest panchayat polls.
It also questioned the rationale behind cutting its trade connectivity with Kerala port and making it mandatory to do trade through port in Karnataka.
“Stop treating Lakshadweep as a colony”: AIMMM
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat President Navaid Hamid, in a series of tweets, has urged government “to stop treating Lakshadweep as a colony” and advise administrator Praful Patel to follow constitutionality till he is administrator of the island.
“Lakshwadeep is not a colony but an integral part of India with a distinct culture & a history of patriotism inhabited by ST Muslims for centuries. STOP treating it as a colony – by imposing your food choices; snatching their livelihood by prohibiting local dairy farming and allowing there only Gujarat’s Amul Dairy products; enacting laws to make easy for crony capitalists to buy island’s land; licencing liquor vendors to corrupt its peaceful society & enacting Act, Goonda Act ( in spite of being aware that UT has lowest crime rate) with intentions to suppress the dissenting voices against autocratic & anti-Lakshadweep laws being imposed with vested interests with a provision to keep innocents in jail without trial for a period of one year; prohibiting commercial connectivity with Kerala port and making mandatory for its trade activity only through Karnataka port & barring citizens with more than 2 children from becoming Panchayat members”, Hamid said.
“@PMOIndia should direct it’s appointee to desist from imposing arbitrary laws and also urgently reconstitute Home Ministry Advisory Committee (HMAC) which is non-existent since September 2018 and is the only competent body to give legal sanctity for legislating any new law for the union territory of Lakshadweep,” AIMMM president said.
Lakshadweep needs democratic voices, not a viceroy
He said that “Lakshadweep needs democratic voices and not Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel who consider himself a viceroy and a law unto himself.”
Stating that “countrymen know the real divisive agenda of Praful Patel”, AIMMM reminded Patel “to follow constitutionality till he is administrator in the larger interest of peace and tranquility on the island”.
He tagged his tweets to President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Welfare Party seeks immediate dismissal of Praful Patel
Condemning the actions of Patel, Welfare Party of India president Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas demanded immediate dismissal of Praful Patel from his post and withdrawal of all the “unilateral” and “anti-people” laws passed by the administrator without consulting the local elected representatives and prominent citizens. He said that depriving the people of their land and properties through unconstitutional means and implementing two-child norm for contesting panchayat elections was unconstitutional and amounted to highhandedness.
