THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI state assistant secretary K Prakash Babu suggested that union territory of Lakshadweep should be made part of Kerala. Prakash Babu is the first senior political leader to raise such a demand. In an article written in CPI mouthpiece Janayugom daily on Sunday, he recalled historical connections between Kerala and Lakshadweep and opined that Lakshadweep should have been made part of Kerala during the state reorganisation exercise in 1956.
“The characteristics of land and the people of Lakshadweep justify the proposal to annex Lakshadweep to Kerala. The Union government and Parliament should enact legislation to ensure that. The Union government which had made changes to rules to allow corporate companies to own land in Kashmir will soon try to lease out land in Lakshadweep to Indian and foreign corporates. They will then initiate legal steps to evacuate people of Lakshadweep for making things easier for corporates. Fascist agendas are implemented in peaceful territories by creating an environment of fear, concern and tension. If Lakshadweep continues to remain as a Union Territory, this will happen soon,” Prakash Babu wrote in the article.
The stand taken by the senior CPI leader, however, is not in line with the position of CPI in such matters. The CPI has always batted for self-determination rights for the people of a territory and for more autonomy to union territories. Recently, when there was a tussle between the elected government of Puducherry and the Lieutenant Governor, the CPI demanded to amend Union Territories Act of 1963 so that more powers are conferred to the local government. Led by state secretary R Viswanathan, CPI led campaigns across Puducherry demanding more autonomy to the Union Territory and elected government in 2017.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said what Prakash Babu said was his personal opinion. “We haven’t discussed the issue in detail and the party hasn’t taken any such stand,” Kanam told TNIE. The CPI state executive has extended support to the protest by people of Lakshadweep against the autocratic ways of the administrator, but, a detailed debate on the issue hasn’t taken place in the panel of leaders. “That was a new suggestion from him as debates are raging in the issue,” he added. Arguing that people of Lakshadweep speak Malayalam and High Court is having judicial jurisdiction over the island, Prakash said recent development should prompt a rethink about not annexing Lakshadweep to Kerala in 1956.