Anti-Goonda Act to beef ban: How Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel has caused chaos in UT

With the Congress-led UDF and the ruling CPI-M-led Left in Kerala up in arms over the happenings in Lakshadweep on the actions of the new Administrator of the Union Territory, Praful Patel, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday also came down heavily on the way things are going on there.

While hearing a public interest litigation about the way the actions there have caused issues, Justice Vinod Chandran said that they are aware of what's happening there and they do not have to rely for this on the social media or media reports, instead, they have their own way to know things.

The court after hearing the petition stayed the transfer of two assistant public prosecutors from two islands to Kavarati and asked the administrator to explain why the two were transferred and asked them to return to government service.

The High Court sought the details of it from the sub-judge in the island and it was after going through this report, the court stayed the transfer.

Patel, who was appointed as the Administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020 is facing opposition over policies introduced by him from the people of the union territory and politicians, both from within Lakshadweep and neighbouring state Kerala.

What is happening in Lakshadweep?

For the past few days, all the top political parties barring the BJP in Kerala are up in arms to the way things are happening under the regime of Patel, a former Gujarat Home Minister.

On Tuesday two-time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the peace and tranquillity that has always prevailed in the island has gone for a toss with the arrival of Patel.

"All along the administration was done by an IAS officer and things changed for the worse with the arrival of Patel. The introduction of the Goonda Act at a place like the island, where the crime rate is relatively low and harassing people by using it to take action against those people who protested during the CAA and NRC. Also, the way the quarantine rules was imposed there also led to spread of Covid. Also the act of deleting beef from the menu and the revoking of prohibition rules have all caused unrest and these things should not happen," said Chandy.

Meanwhile, the new Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly - VD Satheesan on Tuesday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that Patel be called back as he his acts have badly affected the islanders.

Congress leader and Kerala MP Hibi Eden has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah urging them to "protect the interests and culture of the islanders."

In his letter, Eden said that the people of Lakshadweep are ethnically similar to Keralites and thousands of students from the Island depend on Kerala for their higher education and the appointment of Patel as the new Lakshadweep Administrator in December 2020 and the reforms followed by his appointment has drawn protest among the islanders.The Congress MP listed four "discriminative decisions" taken by Patel and said they are "against the interest of Lakshadweep Islands".Eden raised objection on 

The Lakshadweep Administrator's decision to take over the control of the administrative powers of elected zilla panchayat regarding -- Education, Health care, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries -- have been met with opposition.

Eden said many government contract employees in the tourism sector were terminated without any reason. "Majority of the 70000 people in this Island depend on fishing and government services, but the new administration demolished huts of fisherman accusing CRZ violation," he wrote.

Eden also raised objections to the new proposal to bring changes in Panchayat Regulations that will make any person with more than two children ineligible to contest Panchayat elections. 

"Another proposed bill -- the Lakshadweep Anti-Social Activities Regulation 2021 -- has caught up controversy because such harsh laws are unwarranted because the island has a very low crime rate. And many clauses are likely to be misused and may infringe on a person's legitimate rights. And many clauses are likely to be misused and may infringe on a person's legitimate rights," the Congress leader said.

He further listed that the decisions taken to divert all cargos to Mangalore by ending a long-lasting trade relation between the island and Beypore port of Kerala, the decisions to open bars and foreign liquor, beef ban and eliminating non-vegetarian food from the menu of Anganwadi children are "some of the harsh and unwanted decisions taken by the new Administrator and he has been taking decisions that are against the interest of Lakshadweep Islands."

In a letter written to the President, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that there is apprehension among the people of Lakshadweep and resultant widespread protests "owing to the authoritarian measures taken by the current Administrator Praful Patel".