Lakshadweep: Intelligence collecting whereabouts of islanders living in Kerala

Amidst soaring protests in a bid to call back the "anti-people" reforms introduced by the new administrator, Praful Khoda Patel, the intelligence department is now collecting the whereabouts of Lakshadweep natives residing in Kerala state.

This comes as the islanders staying in Kerala had also organized a hunger strike to express their support for the hunger strike in Lakshadweep against the recent administrative reforms.

Last week, the island administration declared a new order on cleanliness management which demands the disposal of tender coconut shell, tree leaves, coconut husk, coconut shell, trunk and such in public places in Lakshadweep.

Meanwhile, on June 10, Lakshadweep collector S Asker Ali endorsed the draft legislation including Draft Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation and Draft Panchayat Notification. The draft Panchayat Notification cancels the membership of a panchayat member with more than two children while the animal preservation regulation draft will emphasize the removal of non-vegetarian food from school lunches.

The Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) introduced in January 2021, which allows detention of an individual without any public disclosure up to a year, has also evoked anger. Several organisations and political groups have voiced condemnation of Patel, a former MLA from Gujarat, and his reforms. Patel took the island's charge five months ago after the death of former administrator Dineshwar Sharma.