Underwater protest, fast by Lakshadweep people demanding Administrator's recall
Kochi, June 7: In Lakshadweep, several people on Monday held an underwater protest and staged a 12-hour fast demanding administrator Praful Patel's recall for his 'anti- people' measures and seeking withdrawal of draft legislation on development.
The protestors, both under sea water and outside of their homes, held placards with slogans like "Revoke LDAR" (Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation) and "Justice for Lakshadweep." The people who took to protest came under the banner of "save Lakshadweep forum" and posted pictures of protest in social media.
Opposition parties in Lakshadweep and in Kerala have alleged that Patel unilaterally lifted restrictions on the use of alcohol in the Muslim-majority islands, banned beef products, citing Animal Preservation and demolished fishermen's sheds built on the coastal areas, saying they violated the Coast Guard Act.
The BJP has however defended Patel, claiming that the protests were a result of his efforts to end "corrupt practices" involving local politicians and usher in development there.
In Kochi, United Democratic Front parliamentarians from Kerala staged a protest in front of the Lakshadweep Administrator's Office in solidarity with the protestors, demanding withdrawal of the proposed "anti-people laws" by the union government.
"The islanders held a peaceful protest today. Almost all the establishments, shops and commercial establishments were closed today.
Almost everyone in the island took part in the protest," Hamdullah Sayeed, former Lakshadweep IUML MP, told PTI.
He said Lakshadweep is closely associated with Kerala in every aspect and the administrator was trying to "separate the islands" from the state.
IUML MP E T Mohammed Basheer, who inaugurated the protest, termed as "undemocratic" the actions of the administrator and demanded withdrawal of regulations and executive orders passed after May 12.
AIYF, the youth wing of the CPI, a major ally in the LDF government in Kerala, also protested in front of the Administrator's office.
All MPs from Kerala, except Rahul Gandhi, K Muraleedharan, K Sudhakaran, Kodikunnil Suresh, Sashi Tharoor, Adoor Prakash and N K Premachandran, took part in the protest.
The Lakshadweep people are demanding repeal of the proposed LDAR, the Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (PASA or Goondas Act) and the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation (LAPR).
Social media was flooded with #SaveLakshadweep with islanders posting pictures of their protests.
Thousands of others also trended the hashtag.
Expressing solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep, the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution, demanding the recall of Patel and requesting the Centre's immediate intervention "to protect the lives and livelihood of the islanders."
An archipelago in the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by locals over the recent actions and administrative reforms being implemented by Patel.
#Lakshadweep Protests At Homes, On Beaches, Under Sea
— NDTV (@ndtv) June 7, 2021
NDTV's Sneha Mary Koshy reports
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
