Actor Prithviraj has the support of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and, more important, the shoulder of Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP, who has expressed his “solidarity” with the people of Lakshadweep, saying that “the ignorant bigots in power are destroying India’s jewel in the ocean.”

No one will dispute that. Lakshadweep is, indeed, a jewel in the ocean. But there are folks who don’t agree with Rahul Gandhi, people who insist that not everything Patel is doing is wrong. For example, the claim that Lakshadweep is crime-free is offset by the fact that there are frequent “illegal berthing of foreign vessels at the islands” and that there have been hauls of narcotics made from the islands. There is also the allegation that the “opposition” has “joined hands with Islamists” to organize a Social Media campaign against Patel’s "reforms" and that disinformation is being spread to brand the reforms a “Sanghi plot to undermine the Islamic character of Lakshadweep”.

That said, the outcry against the “reforms” is only growing. And administrator Patel is feeling the heat. If it’s not Rahul Gandhi, it’s Rahul's sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra piling on the pressure, demanding that Patel stop “harassing” the people of Lakshadweep and stop “trying to destroy the heritage of Lakshadweep” with “arbitrary restrictions”, insisting that the “rich natural and cultural heritage” of the islands should be protected and nurtured.

“Why can’t the people of Lakshadweep be consulted? Why can’t they be asked what they believe is good for them and for Lakshadweep? How can someone who knows nothing about their heritage be allowed to use his power to destroy it?” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked.

But none of the appeals appear to have had an effect. The Modi Government has chosen to stand by the decisions of the administrator. Also, the Kerala High Court declined to stay the operation of the Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021, giving the administrator two weeks’ time to respond to a PIL against the regulation. The court declined to “stay” the implementation of the regulation.

The PIL speaks of the “illegal interference with the social, political and cultural realities in the island(s) of Lakshadweep by the administrator”, specifically “Regulation 21”, which gives the Lakshadweep Administration the powers to remove or usurp the small holdings of property owned by the islanders “belonging to the Scheduled Tribes”, and affecting their right to livelihood.

The PIL also assails the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) which was introduced in January 2021, and which gave the administration the power to detain a person without any public disclosure for a period of up to one year. The islanders did not know that Praful Khoda Patel would with his decisions seek to change their choices of food, their culture and livelihood, which are against articles 15, 16, 19 and 21.

The Congress party has also objected to the decision to open a liquor store in the archipelago, besides opposing the anti-Goonda Act. Those opposed to the new regulations do not forget to mention that Patel was chosen by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and, therefore, wouldn’t be without bias. Patel cannot be objective in his decisions because he’s out and out a political appointee, the first time a politician has been appointed administrator of Lakshadweep. Patel is no fisherman and he does not own a fishing boat to understand the livelihood of fishermen, their feelings for the sea and its subtle mood changes.

In short, Patel wouldn’t understand what to fish, when to fish and where to fish, and here he's indiscriminately demolishing the dwellings of fishermen and their dependents. Patel’s trespasses were resented, and now people fear that his “unilateral and anti-people decisions” would spell the death of traditional livelihood. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran understands better by far than administrator Patel.

“My first memories of this gorgeous little group of islands are from a school excursion when I was in my 6th grade. I remember being in awe of the turquoise waters and the crystal clear lagoons,” he wrote on Social Media. “Years later I was part of the crew that brought filmmaking back to the islands with Sachy’s Anarkali. I spent a good two months in Kavarati and made memories and friends for a lifetime.”

Terming the changes “completely bizarre reforms”, the actor believes that “any law, reform or amendment should never be for the land, but for 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?” (IPA Service)