Beautiful Lakshadweep islands, of 97 percent Muslims are under attack with a close aide of PM Modi now establishing the Hindutva project.
Since December 2, 2020, Praful Khoda Patel, a one-time BJP MLA from Gujarat, a close aide to PM Modi, who became administrator of Union Territory, has gone on a rampage of executing strange laws such as the Goonda law on the beautiful, most literate, lowest crime rated place in India.
The news laws causing trouble in a gist are:
1. Ransacking fishermen’s sheds, (80% live off fishing)
2. Making a new Gooda Law (in lowest crime rates)
3. Imposed beef ban in the 97% Muslim Island.
4. Snatching land of people regardless of ownership
5. Calling people in Island terrorists.
6. Making laws to unlawfully arrest and detail for a year.
7. Zero COVID, since he came 7000 cases of COVID.
8. MP Mohan Delkar, died by suicide, his son alleges Praful Khoda Pate brought on his suicide.
9. The people on the island want him removed. Remove him…
#Lakshadweep
1. Ransacking fishermen’s sheds, (80% live off fishing)
2. Making a new Gooda Law (in lowest crime rates)
3. Imposed beef ban in the 97% Muslim Island.
4. Snatching land of people regardless of ownership
5. Calling people in Island terrorists.
6. Making laws to unlawfully arrest and detail for a year.
7. Zero COVID, since he came 7000 cases of COVID.
8. MP Mohan Delkar, died by suicide, his son alleges Praful Khoda Pate brought on his suicide and this raises questions on his other credentials.
9. The people on the island want him removed.
He penned the draft of the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation, 2021, which allows the administrator to unilaterally detain people for up to a year. The draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, concentrates planning powers with the administration and empowers it to take any piece of land on the island, irrespective of its ownership, for “development” purposes.
The Goonda Act – Prevention of Anti-Social Activities – could be seen as an attempt to choke protests, especially since Lakshadweep saw anti-CAA/NRC protests. But, if Patel is planning to push economic activity, why is his administration destroying fisherfolks’ sheds? According to a teacher, “Only 10% of the people here are employed by the government. All others live off fishing,” so Patel attacking their sheds is hitting at their income directly.
The administrator of this archipelago of 35 atolls and coral reefs in the Arabian sea has been in the frontline news for over a week now disturbing India and Lakshadweep initially COVID free now has 7000 cases after Praful Khoda Patel took over, which is interesting.
Recently, he had been caught in a controversy after Mohan Delkar, a seven-term Lok Sabha MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, committed suicide. Dalkar’s son had accused Patel, the Administrator of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, of harassing his father to the point of suicide.
General secretary Mohammad Kasim calls him “authoritarian” and says his proposals are not in the interests of people on the islands wrote to Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday raising his objections.
Some BJP leaders in Lakshadweep have also quit in protest against Patel’s proposals, and Mohammad Kasim said they included some office-bearers.
In Kerala, which has strong social and cultural links with the islands, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized
the proposals, while MPs from the Left and Congress have written to President Ram Nath Kovind and the PM seeking their intervention.
While supporting Patel, at the same time, Lakshadweep unit, president BJP Abdul Khader Haji Khader admitted that some of Patel’s measures were not “appreciated” by the people. “In a Muslim-dominated place, there cannot be a ban on beef. Some land rules proposed are not good either. But we always have the option of rejecting such proposals. There should be talks over them,” he said.
Kasim said the question was not about the BJP appointing Patel. “We have had Administrators in the past, including those sent by BJP governments. No one has ever done damage to this region. But this Administrator is hell-bent on destroying it.”
In Kerala, Patel’s actions have the support of the state BJP, with president K Surendran justifying them citing “terror links” on the islands.
However, other parties in Kerala have denounced such claims. Congress MP Hibi Eden, who carried out protests along with fellow MP T N Pratapan on Tuesday on the issue, called Patel’s measures “a cultural invasion” and said they were “destroying the social fabric of the islands”. “He is doing it at a time when Lakshadweep that was Covid-free has 7,000 cases.”
Eden also said, “Patel has slapped charges against people for taking part in anti-CAA protests that happened months ago and branded them anti-nationals. In the name of the Coastal Regulation Zone, he has got landing centers for poor fishermen removed. In a place that has the lowest crime data, he is introducing the Goonda Act… He must specify what development he is bringing in.”
Lakshadweep is a tropical archipelago of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala, India. Not all of the islands are inhabited, and only a few are open to visitors (permits required).
The rich topography, exotic wildlife, and nature on this island are unparalleled to any other scenic place in India, and the sudden new violent ramifications with no regard to the Constitutional rights of citizens, the silence of the Supreme Court on these unconstitutional laws, and weak voices of the Opposition is very disturbing for India.
The very acts of the BJP government are sacrilege on our Consitution disregarding the rights and preferences of a predominantly Muslim group of people in Lakshadweep and it is a tragedy that the Supreme Court remains silent through this.