Beef Ban, Arrests Of CAA Protestors, Restrictions On Contesting Elections, Here’s How The Centre Is Wronging Lakshadweep

A land, with a unique culture and geography, strategically guards India by marking the country’s border from the international waters, with its territory. Lakshadweep, (also known as the Coral Paradise) is an island group that lies in the Arabian sea, off the South-western coast of India. It has a total of 35 islands, of which only 10 have human settlements. It is the smallest union territory in India, that holds the first position in literacy rate among the union territories, placing herself third across the country. The place situates 200km-500km away from the mainland of India, with more than 90% of the population following Islam. These are the globally known facts about Lakshadweep. But, the struggle of the populace in these islands for survival is never spoken of.

This write-up is to spot the present scenario in Lakshadweep, seeking the nation’s attention towards the issues related to the land and its people.

Rise in Covid Cases

In the past few weeks, Lakshadweep has been suffering due to the rising Covid-19 cases in the islands with no medical facility to tackle it. The administration, instead of trying to help out the people, had implemented a few rules which are strong enough to shatter the peace of the people. A place that had remained a green zone amidst the super spread of the deadly coronavirus till recent past, with prayers and fears, had now become a red zone with active positive Covid-19 cases increasing at an alarming rate, because of the steps taken by the administration. When the Covid-19 patients in the country are advised to follow a healthy diet to boost their immunity, the patients in the islands have no way to access them, they have only vitamin tablets instead. The administration had taken the initiative to bring the virus to the islands, and let the people suffer alone when they are affected by the pandemic.

During the global pandemic, the then administrator of Lakshadweep, the Late Dineswar Sharma had taken care of the islands, leaving no space for any corona case, by banning the tourists’ visit to the islands and bringing protocols for strict quarantine for the travellers who had come from the mainland. Lakshadweep had remained a green zone for about a year, till the administration had revised the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) by doing away with mandatory quarantine guidelines for those arriving from the mainland. As a result, the first case of Covid-19 was reported on the 18th of January, 2021, and the first Covid-19 death was reported on the 24th of February, 2021. The geography of the place, increases the risk of the spread of the deadly virus, as all the islands are less than 5 sq. km in area and almost everyone on an island meets every other person in a day or two. Out of 10 inhabited islands, only 3 islands have hospitals. The remaining 7 islands have only Primary/Community Health Centres. The medical facilities in these islands are very pathetic, that even Androth, the biggest island has only 30 beds in the hospital for 11464 people. How is Lakshadweep meant to fight the corona war without any proper equipment, or a healthy diet to shield its people amid the rocketing positive cases?

Termination of Local Employees

The cost of living in the islands is higher when compared to any other part of the country. Even the highest fuel price in the country is in Lakshadweep. In such a place, it would be really difficult to lead a life with no job and a steady income. On February 28th, 2021, the coir craft, needlecraft, and art teachers on a contract basis, who were employed under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were sacked without any prior notice, before two months of the completion of their tenure. The strange reason cited for this was ‘the terminal exam scheduled to be held in March.

Earlier, the Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs under the Department of Tourism had come up with such actions which had resulted in the job loss of hundreds of youths. There are no factories, industries, or private entrepreneurship in Lakshadweep which can provide a job opportunity to the youth. Hence, the ‘Group B’ and ‘Group C’ posts were reserved for the native people of the islands, as there is no scope for private jobs in the islands.

Being a Union Territory without a Legislative Assembly, Lakshadweep provides no scope for the islanders, for a State Government job like the other Indian states. The new recruitment policy in the islands states that anyone who is a citizen of India can apply for a job in Lakshadweep. The tenders for construction, under the Public Welfare Department, had unified, to set up a single project. Hence, the local contractors in the islands would lose their offers to the corporate firms in Gujarat.

Cancelling relations with Kerala

Connectivity and network-related problems are being faced by the islanders since its first settlement. As the islands are scattered in the Arabian Sea, the northern group of islands is mainly connected to the Mangalore port in South Karnataka, while the southern group was connected to Cochin and Beypore ports in Kerala. A recent modification was made in the transportation sector by exempting Beypore port (of Calicut) from the ports connecting Lakshadweep to the mainland.

The locals, except in the Minicoy island, speak a language called ‘Jasri’, that doesn’t have a script. In that way, ‘Malayalam’, which is considered as their ‘official mother-tongue, is their second language. There are still a lot of people in the islands who even find it difficult to read and write Malayalam.

Lakshadweep comes under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kerala. If the removal of Beypore port from the papers is a step prior to bringing Lakshadweep gradually under the dominion of Karnataka High Court, the people who face difficulty in understanding their own ‘mother-tongue, will have to learn Kannada to find a solution for their legal needs. It will never be less than similar in bringing the state of Kerala under the jurisdiction of the Madras High Court. In that case, a land that faces an identity crisis will have to adapt more changes to exist.

Beef ban

Red meat except for pork is an essential part of the islanders’ menu, it would be very hard for the populace of Lakshadweep to follow the food style of Gujarat through the new menu. The administration had initiated the implementation of a beef ban in the islands. Though the decision-making power regarding the school-related issues lies within the hands of the District Panchayath, the administration had taken the privilege of even deciding what the students should have for the mid-day meals.

After invading the kitchens of the islanders, the non-vegetarian food items like chicken, mutton, beef, etc are exempted even from the menu for the school children. As a place that does not have enough distribution of fruits, vegetables, pulses, and cereals, people of Lakshadweep had become used to consume meat in their daily menu. Everywhere around the world, people normally build their food habits based on the availability of food products in the geographical area they live.

The unavailability of the service of food apps in the islands, which can deliver vegetables and pulses online, also is a bane regarding the islanders. Hence, the veggies and fruits they get are often rotten ones, as it is dependent on the availability of ships. The travel during monsoon season to and from the islands is setting one’s life on a chance. Transporting food items during the monsoon season too is a trial of luck. Sometimes the boxes of food items including vegetables and fruits get washed out by the sea from the front door through the exit door, and the islanders helplessly watch their food being submerged in the Arabian sea. The monsoon also forces the people to live without fish, as the men are not allowed to go fishing, risking their life. Hence, in the coming monsoon days, the islanders may have to starve, as there would be no food.

Lifting restrictions of Alcohol

Lakshadweep was dry land, following the liquor ban under the provision of the ‘Lakshadweep Prohibition Regulation, 1979’, till February 2021. The decision to ban alcohol in the islands was taken by the government of India, to preserve its culture. Its fragile ecosystem too would probably get affected by the leftover alcohol consumption; and hence, it could risk the marine ecosystem too. The lack of hospital facilities in the islands could increase the risk of health issues related to the consumption of liquor. A high chance of home violence against women because of the open distribution of liquor should also be looked upon in a male prioritized society like Lakshadweep. An individual has the freedom of the consumption of alcohol until it harms others and their lifestyle. If it is for the sake of tourists, they have had got their bottles of entertainment, even in the past, as it was allowed in the Bangaram (uninhabited) island. But once, the locals; especially men get the license to have it, the repercussions could be beyond anyone’s imagination.

Implementation of ‘Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation Act 2021’ and Crackdown on Anti-CAA/NRC Protestors

Another whiplash on the islanders is the draft of ‘Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation Act 2021’ introduced in the islands, last February, which is the ditto of ‘Gujarat Anti-Social Activities Regulation Act 1985’, that gives the police, the authority to punish an individual, without a trial up to 12 months.

The necessity of a law like this in a place like Lakshadweep which is adorned with the appreciation for the least criminal cases recorded in the country, and its empty prisons, needs to be detailed. The people who have protested against CAA in the last year are put behind the bars, already. Another strange regulation brought by the new administration is that the people who have more than two children, cannot contest in the Panchayat elections. There are a few more rules the administration tries to impose on Lakshadweep, which shows that the silence and tolerance of the island people are taken for granted.

The latest of the rules executed in Lakshadweep without the consent of the islanders, and the Panchayath, is the shutdown of schools in the islands with an excuse of ‘an attempt to reduce public expenditure’. This barbarian act has happened in an era in which education is considered an essential part of a human’s social life. This too would result in losing the job opportunities of the people.

Lately, the authority has threatened the people to cut the ration and other governmental aids of those who are not vaccinated against Covid-19, even though it is a personal choice, especially for those who have pre-medical conditions. Through the new alterations made in the existing laws in Lakshadweep, the authority asserts sovereignty, possessing the supreme power in the islands, leaving a chance for dictatorship.

Bureaucrats from outside

Till recent times, senior IAS officers were appointed as the Administrator of Lakshadweep, and therefore they were accountable for their actions. Now, the retired IPS officers with a connection to the ruling party are being appointed in the union territories as the administrators. The officials, who hold the higher positions are always recruited from the AGMUT cadre of the UPSC. Hence, the bureaucrats who come to the islands as the Administrator, and those who are appointed for the other ‘Group A’ posts, have always failed to understand the emotions of the people, as a result of the linguistic barrier the locals face. The common people have always needed a middle man to reach out to the bureaucrats.

The new amendments are brought to fail a community, by restraining them from their freedom of expression, violating their basic right to have the food of their choice, and encroaching into their cultural space. If the officials are to play the saviours, they have a lot to do in Lakshadweep to save her, from resolving the connectivity and network issues, providing food grains in the islands once in a week or two, ensuring education to every girl child despite the odds of gender, regularising the price of commodities, strengthening the health facilities, working on the youth unemployment, supporting the cottage industries to find a market for the local products, assessing the environmental issues, etc. 

Lakshadweep was agitated when in chains, and had resisted the oppressors, even by poisoning, and slaughtering them, for freedom. She had been a lone fighter so far; she shall fight this battle too, in her own way. She had endured the worst; she would survive this pandemic as well, over time. It is the guardian treasure pot of the country; and hence, it is high time for India to acknowledge this archipelago as a part of the nation, and stand for Lakshadweep in her difficult times. The well-being of the islanders should be mattered like any of its other states, for India’s coral paradise is much more than a few dots on the map.