What’s Happening in Lakshadweep is Internal Colonisation (talk)

This was a talk delivered as part of the Save Lakshadweep Campaign in May 2021. Praful Khoda Patel, the new administrator appointed by the right-wing Hindutwa central government, started introducing arbitrary rules and policies, in the name of development, which threatened the very existence of the indigenous people of the islands, including their right to land. His policies and regulations and ordinances were undemocratic and autocratic in nature, without ever consulting the elected representatives of the islands or ever trying to convince the public. In effect, they looked like nothing short of internal colonisation, with a real estate agenda as part of a huge tourism project. This talk discusses the major aspects of the new regulations and proposals by the administration, including the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation Act, Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, indirect beef ban, lifting of liquor ban etc. This was done as part of an online seminar organised by the Muslim Youth League.