KOCHI: Prominent personalities from Kerala including actor Prithviraj and footballers C K Vineeth have come forward to support the 'Save Lakshadweep' campaign against the new law reforms introduced by Administrator Praful Patel including stopping schools from serving non-vegetarian food in their canteens and destroying sheds and local institutions set up to help the fishing community in the island.
A day after politician V T Balram came up with a Facebook post in support of the Lakshadweep islanders, who are protesting against the 'reforms', actor Prithviraj, whose super hit movie 'Anarkali' was shot in Lakshadweep, took to Twitter and Facebook to express his solidarity with the islanders.
"For the last few days, I’ve been getting desperate messages from people I know and do not know from these islands, requesting and sometimes even pleading for me to do what I can to bring public attention to what is going on there. I’m not going to go on and write an essay about the islands and why the new administrator’s “reforms” seem completely bizarre. All such material should by now be easily available online for those of you interested in reading about it," Prithviraj said.
"What I do know for sure though, is that none of the islanders I know, or none of those who’ve spoken to me are happy with what’s happening. I strongly believe that any law, reform or amendment should never be for the land, but the people of the land. It’s never the geographical or political boundary that makes a country, state or union territory but the people who live there. How does disrupting the way of life of a centuries-old peaceful settlement become an acceptable means of progress? How will threatening the balance of a very delicate island ecosystem with no regard for the potential consequences pave the way for sustainable development?" the actor said.
Footballer Vineeth, in a series of tweets, said ever since the death of Dinesh Sharma, the former Administrator of Lakshadweep, and the Modi government's appointment of Praful Khoda Patel as his successor, "it has been one problem after another for the people of Lakshadweep".
First, the Administrator arrived there with "little care" for Covid guidelines, he said. "He (Patel) scrapped many of the rules they had in place to avoid the virus, and now they have to deal with the pandemic just like any other state," Vineeth said, adding that the Administrator also destroyed many sheds and local institutions there, which were set up to help the fishing community.
"Then, for a city that has a very little number of vehicles, he wants to widen the roads and bring down several houses that are in the way," the footballer said, adding that the move to stop serving non-vegetarian food in school canteens was "extremely unfair" as the island is a predominantly Muslim community. "Why change what isn't broken?" he asked.
Prithviraj, in his post, said he has faith in our system and even more faith in our people. "When an entire community is unhappy with decisions taken by a nominated authority, upon whose posting the people there had no say, and they vociferously bring it to the attention of the world and their government, I would like to think there is no way other than act on it. So please, to whomsoever it may concern, do listen to the voice of the people of Lakshadweep, trust them to know what is better for their land. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth, with even more beautiful people living there," he said.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP, CPMs Elamaram Kareem has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, requesting him to urgently call back Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel for his "anti-people" orders. In his letter, Kareem said Patel's sole aim is to destroy the traditional life and culture of the Lakshadweep.
Earlier, it was Balram, former MLA of the Congress, who posted about the sad state of affairs on the island on Facebook on Sunday. "At a time when the freedom and culture of the Lakshadweep islanders are being questioned, it is Kerala's responsibility to guard those people, who are solely depending on our state for most of their necessities including health, education and livelihood," said Balram.