The Kerala legislative assembly is set to pass a unanimous resolution on Lakshadweep on Monday, pledging solidarity to the residents of the Union territory facing turmoil over a slew of reforms.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will introduce the resolution in the morning with a demand to immediately bring a resolution to the concerns of the people of the island. The resolution also seeks withdrawal of the controversial reforms, passed by Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel, who took over in December last year.
"The government will move the resolution in the ongoing session. I hope the opposition also will not have any objection and they will support it as many of its members have already raised such a demand. So, there is unanimity on the matter," the Kerala chief minister said earlier.
The inhabitants of Lakshadweep are protesting against a new set of reforms including the implementation of the anti-social Activities Regulation bill, 2021, or the goonda act, in the island territory. The critics of the law say that the bill is unnecessary as the crime rate of the island is “already very low”.
The Lakshadweep government also took over the control of the local administrative powers of the elected zilla panchayat regarding education, healthcare, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries. It also gave a nod to liquor sale, banned beef and eliminated non-vegetarian food from the menu of Anganwadi children.
Lakshadweep is a non-alcoholic zone as the majority population of the island comprises Muslims.
Over the last week, several leaders including Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mohammed Faizal, Congress legislator Shafi Parambil, Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders, called on Centre and the local administration to pay heed to public demands and withdraw the new reforms.
"What is happening in Lakshadweep is a cultural invasion to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda of the Central government," said Congress legislator Shafi Parambil in a letter to Kerala chief minister. The administrator was just an instrument to implement the fascist agenda, he further alleged.
Congress also wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the current administrator of Lakshadweep has taken "authoritarian measures" and demanded his recall.
Earlier on Sunday, supporters of the 'Save Lakshadweep' campaign observed a black day on social media. Meanwhile, a delegation of MPs from Kerala was denied permission to visit the Arabian sea islands citing covid control measures.
The CPI-M has also decided to stage a protest on May 31 in front of the Lakshadweep offices in Beypore and Kochi.
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