Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India’s island cluster simmers with tension over new regulations

India’s island cluster simmers with tension over new regulations

LAKSHADWEEP, a normally tranquil group of islands off the southwest coast of India, has been simmering with tension over a slew of rules proposed by its administrator Praful Patel.

Critics said the proposals are "anti-people" and threaten the livelihoods of the islanders. The opposition to the rule that started as a social media campaign by students gained traction last week, with #SaveLakshadweep being backed by prominent politicians including opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.


Gandhi wrote to prime minister Narendra Modi asking him to ensure that the proposals are withdrawn. "Lakshadweep is India's jewel in the ocean. The ignorant bigots in power are destroying it. I stand with the people of Lakshadweep," he tweeted.

One of the draft legislations which prompted vocal resentment is the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, which empowers the administrator to constitute authorities to plan the development of any area identified as having “bad layout or obsolete development”.

Some suspect this might have been issued at the behest of ‘real estate interests’ seeking to usurp small holdings of property owned by the islanders.

Other proposals involve a ban on cow slaughter and allowing some businesses to sell alcohol, seen as offending religious sentiments. Currently, the sale and consumption of alcohol is largely banned in the islands.

Patel, who has also been criticised for relaxing quarantine guidelines which led to a spike in Covid-19 cases this year, told media his proposals will boost tourism in Lakshadweep and there are no plans to roll them back.

The cluster of 36 islands with a population of about 65,000 - predominantly Muslims - is located in the Arabian Sea nearly 500 km (300 miles) off of Kerala.

Developments in Lakshadweep impact Kerala as the islands are commercially and logistically connected to it.

The Lakshadweep Students Association (LSA) began a campaign on Twitter and Instagram, which gained momentum after Elamaram Kareem, a Kerala MP, wrote to India's president urging a change of guard in the archipelago.

On Monday (31), the legislative assembly of Kerala adopted a motion demanding protection for people's livelihoods and the removal of Patel as the administrator of Lakshadweep.

The Kerala high court on Monday (31) said it is up to the federal government to decide whether to accept the objections to the draft Lakshadweep town and country planning regulation.

Mohammed Faizal, an MP from Lakshadweep, alleged that Patel “cared little” to understand the islanders' culture and ecology. The Congress MP, who has been demanding a recall of Patel, said the draft legislation was in blatant violation of the country’s supreme court guidelines for carrying out developmental works on the ecologically sensitive islands.

Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep administration announced the extension of the complete shutdown till June 6 considering the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the islands.

India's home minister Amit Shah, however, said no measures will be carried out without taking the people in the islands into confidence, media reports said on Tuesday (1), indicating that Patel is likely to be asked to go slow on the sweeping changes.

More For You

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

Foreign Office minister Catherine West, health secretary Wes Streeting and equalities minister Seema Malhotra during the Holi Reception in London.

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

THE recent health and life sciences agreement between the UK and India will strengthen cooperation on healthcare innovation and security in both countries, health secretary Wes Streeting said.

Speaking at the Holi reception organised by the 1928 Institute, who are the secretariat for the India All-Party Parliamentary Group, in London on Monday (24), he added that the contribution of British Indians has been pivotal in the growth of the NHS since its inception in 1948, and a robust partnership between the two nations will ensure we have a healthcare provider 'fit for the future'.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-steel-iStock

An aerial view of Steel Plant Industry in Scunthorpe. (Photo: iStock)

British Steel to shut blast furnaces, up to 2,700 jobs at risk

BRITISH STEEL, owned by Chinese group Jingye, confirmed on Thursday that it will shut down its blast furnaces and steelmaking operations in England, attributing the decision to market challenges, tariffs, and rising environmental costs.

The closures, first proposed in late 2023, could lead to the loss of up to 2,700 jobs at the company’s main UK site in Scunthorpe, northern England, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil has garnered significant media attention with its direct action protests

Getty Images

Just Stop Oil ends direct action campaign after major policy success

The environmental activist group Just Stop Oil has announced an end to its disruptive direct action protests, declaring a significant victory in its campaign to halt new oil and gas developments. In a statement released by the organisation, the group confirmed it had successfully influenced government policy to abandon new fossil fuel exploration, marking a major turning point in the movement’s goals.

“Just Stop Oil's initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history,” the group’s statement read. It went on to claim responsibility for having kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground, while legal victories in the courts have ruled new oil and gas licences unlawful.

Keep ReadingShow less
submarine-crash-reuters

People walk next to an ambulance in front of the hospital where the bodies of foreigners who were killed when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, and whose nationalities are still unknown, are kept. (Photo: Reuters)

Six foreign tourists die after submarine sinks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast

SIX tourists died on Thursday when a submarine carrying visitors sank near Hurghada, a resort city on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, state media reported.

According to the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, all the deceased were foreigners. The report also said 19 others were injured in the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
EU Warns Citizens to Stockpile Essentials Amid War Concerns

Not all EU countries currently have the same level of preparedness

Getty Images

European Union urges citizens to stockpile food and supplies amid risk of war

The European Union (EU) has advised its 450 million citizens to stockpile essential items, including food and water, to prepare for potential emergencies. This call to action is part of a broader strategy to improve disaster preparedness across the 27-nation bloc, as it faces increasing risks from war, cyberattacks, climate change, and public health crises.

The EU’s recommendation comes in light of recent global developments that have raised concerns about security and stability. Citizens are encouraged to have enough food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies to last at least 72 hours during a crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less