93 former civil servants write to PM, increase considerations over developments in Lakshadweep

A bunch of 93 former civil servants wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday, expressing “deep concern” over what they known as have been “disturbing developments” within the Union Territory of Lakshadweep within the title of “development”.
They have urged the prime minister to make sure an acceptable growth mannequin, in session with the islanders with emphasis on entry to protected and safe healthcare, training and simply governance amongst others.
Asserting that Lakshadweep occupies a novel place in India’s geographic and cultural range, the group highlighted drafts of three laws launched by P Ok Patel after assuming further cost of Administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020.
Patel can also be the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

Since taking cost, he has launched drafts of the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR), the Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (generally referred to as PASA or the Goonda Act elsewhere), and the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation (LAPR), in addition to an modification to the Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulations which have generated widespread nervousness on the island and the nation at giant, they’ve mentioned within the letter.
“These drafts have been introduced without local consultation and are presently with the Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India for necessary approvals,” mentioned the letter written by former civil servants beneath the aegis of Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG).
A replica of the letter has been shared with Home Minister Amit Shah and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Claiming that there was no growth in Lakshadweep for the previous 70 years, the LDAR displays a mannequin of land and tourism growth which incorporates resorts, resorts and beachfronts on the “Maldives model” unmindful of the variations between the 2 island teams in dimension, inhabitants, variety of islands and their unfold, it mentioned.
“We write to you today to register our deep concern over disturbing developments taking place in the pristine Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep in the name of ‘development’,” the letter mentioned.
Former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar, ex-Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, former Adviser to prime minister T Ok A Nair and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah are among the many 93 signatories.
Lakshadweep is an ecologically delicate coral archipelago situated off the Malabar coast consisting of 36 islands (of which 10 are inhabited and one developed as a vacationer resort) unfold out over 32 sq. kms. within the Indian Ocean, with a Muslim majority inhabitants of round 65,000 that’s matrilineal, largely egalitarian, and ethnically near Kerala, from the place it was dominated by a lot of its historical past, it mentioned.
Concerns over dispossession of land, predatory company growth and destruction of the setting have been compounded by the draft PASA, a preventive detention regulation that permits the Administrator to detain any individual for as much as a 12 months for frequent crimes (like anti-social behaviour, smuggling contraband medicine and liquor, involvement in immoral site visitors, land grabbing, cyber-crimes, sexual offences or damaging the setting), the group mentioned.

“Other regulations proposed by the Administrator target food and dietary habits and religious injunctions of the local islanders, 96.5% of whom are Muslims,” it mentioned.
The LAPR will, if handed into regulation, successfully ban the killing of bovine animals and prohibit the consumption, storage, transport or sale of cattle meat in an island setting the place there are inherent limits to livestock growth, the letter mentioned.
No such prohibitions apply to a number of states within the North-East and even the state of Kerala subsequent door, it mentioned.
A ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in step with the spiritual sensitivities of the overwhelmingly Muslim inhabitants has been lifted, as soon as once more ostensibly to advertise tourism, giving each the meat ban and lifting of prohibition on alcohol an avoidable communal color in a delicate maritime area the place communal disharmony may hurt nationwide safety, the letter mentioned.
The adjustments being proposed by the Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulation, 2021 for elections to gram panchayats that can disqualify candidates with greater than two youngsters from contesting seats for the gram panchayat too have been proposed with none native session or considering native sensitivities, it mentioned.
“Each of these measures smacks not of development but of alien and arbitrary policy making, in violation of established practices that respect the environment and society of Lakshadweep,” the letter mentioned.

Taken collectively, the actions and far-reaching proposals of the Administrator, with out due session with the islanders, represent an onslaught on the very material of Lakshadweep society, financial system and panorama as if the islands have been only a piece of actual property for vacationers and tourism traders from the skin world, it mentioned.
“We urge that these measures be withdrawn forthwith, the UT be provided with a full-time, people-sensitive and responsive Administrator, and that an appropriate development model that emphasises access to safe and secure healthcare, education, just governance, food security and livelihood options linked to the ecosystem, in consultation with islanders, be put in place, building on the achievements thus far,” the letter mentioned.