Lakshadweep: a history
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Sources include:
The Times of India P Sudhakaran, TNN | Jul 25, 2013
(CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
Contents
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Briefly
In a nutshell
Lakshadweep, which means “one hundred thousand islands”, in Sanskrit, Malayalam and Marathi, is located at the southwestern Malabar coast of India. The archipelago is a unique set of 36 coral wonders in the Arabian Sea. (CG Pookoya |TOI)
It was once ruled by local chieftains and controlled by kings of South India, before the Portuguese arrived at the end of the 16 th century and tried to colonise it. (CG Pookoya |TOI)
A brief official history
The early history of Lakshadweep is unwritten. What now passes for history is based on various legends. Local traditions attribute the first settlement on these islands to the period of Cheraman Perumal, the last king of Kerala. It is believed that after his conversion to Islam, at the behest of some Arab merchants, he slipped out of his capital Cranganore, the present day Kodungallor – an old harbour town Kochi, for Mecca. When his disappearance was discovered, search parties went after him in sailing boats and left for the shores of Mecca, in search of the king from different places. It is believed that one of these sailing boats of Raja of Cannanore was struck by a fierce storm and they were shipwrecked on the island now known as Bangaram. From there they went to the nearby island of Agatti. Finally the weather improved and they returned to the mainland sighting other islands on their way. It is said that after their return another party of sailors and soldiers discovered the island of Amini and started living there. It is believed that the people sent there were Hindus. Even now unmistakable Hindu Social stratification exists in these islands despite Islam. Legends say that small settlements started in the Islands of Amini, Kavaratti, Andrott and Kalpeni first and later people from these islands moved to the other islands of Agatti, Kiltan, Chetlat and Kadmat. This legend of Cheraman Perumal is not, however, substantiated.
The advent of Islam dates back to the 7th century around the year 41 Hijra. It is universally believed that one St.Ubaidullah(r) while praying at Mecca fell asleep. He dreamt that Prophet Mohammed(s) wanted him to go to Jeddah and take a ship from there to go to distant places. Thus, he left Jeddah but after sailing for months, a storm wrecked his ship near these small Islands. Floating on a plank he was swept ashore on the island of Amini. He fell asleep there but again dreamt of the Prophet asking him to propagate Islam in that Island. Ubaidullah started doing so. But this enraged the headman of the island and he ordered his exit at once. St. Ubaidullah(r) stood firm. Meanwhile,a young woman fell in love with him. He gave her the name Hameedat Beebi and married her. This further offended the headman and he decided to kill him. It is said that the headman and his henchmen surrounded Ubaidullah(r) and his wife to kill them. At once St.Ubaidullah(r) called up on the Almighty and the people were struck blind. At this time St.Ubaidullah(r) and his wife disappeared and as soon as they left the island people regained their eye sight.From Amini St.Ubaidullah(r) arrived at Andrott where he met with similar opposition but he succeeded finally in converting the people to Islam. He next went to other islands and successfully propagated Islam and returned to Andrott where he died, and was buried. The grave of St.Ubaidullah(r) is today a sacred place. Preachers from Androttare respected deeply in far off lands like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Burma etc. It is a marabout or Mukbara.
The Arrival of the Portuguese in India again made Laccadives an important place for seafarers. It was also the beginning of years of plunder for the islands. The finely spun coir was much sought after for ships. So the Portuguese started looting island vessels. They forcibly landed at Amini to procure coir sometime in the early 16th century, but it is said that the people killed all the invaders by poisoning, ending the Portuguese invasion.
Even after the conversion of the entire islands to Islam, sovereignty remained in the hands of the Hindu Rajah of Chirakkal for some years. From the hands of the Chirakkal Raja, the Administration of the island passed on to the Muslim house of Arakkal of Cannanore around the middle of the 16th century. The Arakkal rule was oppressive and unbearable. So sometime in the year 1783 some islanders from Amini took courage and went to Tipu Sultan at Mangalore and requested him to take over the Administration of Amini group of islands. Tipu Sultan at that time was on friendly terms with Beebi of Arakkel and after deliberations, the islands of Amini group were handed over to him. Thus the islands suzerainty came to be divided as five came under the rule of Tipu Sultan and the rest continued under Arakkal house. After the battle of Seringapattom in 1799 the islands were annexed to the British East India Company and were administered from Mangalore. In 1847, a severe cyclone hit the island of Andrott and Raja of Chirakkal decided to visit the island in order to assess the damages and for distributing relief. An officer of the East India Company Sir William Robinson volunteered to accompany him. On reaching Andrott, the Rajah found it difficult to meet all the demands of the people. Sir William then offered the Rajah help in the form ofa loan. This was accepted. This arrangement continued for about four years but when the interest started mounting, the English asked the Rajah to repay them which he could not. In 1854 all the remaining islands were handed over to the East India Company for Administration. so, came the British rule.
The sequestration of the islands is a clear example of the political manipulations and methods adopted by the British for establishing their supremacy in India. Its traditional system of administration was treated by the English as something of misgovernment. But they were more interested in their own political and economic interests than the good government of the islands. Their policy was to exploit the profits from the islands through the Beebi without taking responsibility of its administration. the British later brought the Lakshadweep Regulation 1912,which confers limited power of judicial and magisterial status to Amins/Karanis of the islands. A reasonable restriction of outsiders were also brought into force by the above regulation. Nine Primary Schools and few dispensaries were started during the colonial rule in the islands.
The Union Territory was formed in 1956 and it was named Lakshadweep in 1973.
Ancient times
The Cheras and the Pallavas
The Laccadive Islands have a history that goes back to the 3rd century BC.
The earliest reference of the island can be found in the Puranuru, an ancient Tamil literature. Sangam literature, Pathitruppaththu, refers to the land as the home of Cheras.
The Pallavas annexed it in the 7th century. According to a few historians, the Pallava inscription of 7th century AD that refers to the island as Dveepa Laksham gives away enough cues on the strong hold of the Pallava dynasty in the region during that time.
The Chola kings
In the 11th century, the place came under the supremacy of the Chola kings and remained under them till around the 14th century.
With its early history predominately referring to Hindu rulers, it is assumed that the local inhabitants of the place were mostly Hindus. However, recent archeological verification has affirmed that the island was also home to many Buddhist settlers in the past.
Muslim rule
By the 14th century, Lakshadweep was ruled by the Muslims. The Muslim rulers not only governed the place but also left a lasting impression on the culture of the land.
By the beginning of the 14th century, the archipelago saw the upsurge of Islamic merchants, who arrived by sea to the island. Apart from the grave of an Arab mercantile named Ubaidulla in Andrott, which dates back to 661 AD, there have also been a few other Muslim tombstones that confirm the existence of Islamism in the island.
During the 17th century, rich Muslim families dominated Lakshadweep. According to a local fable, Chirakkal Raja of the Kolathiri family extended their rule to Lakshadweep islands.
The Arakkal family
It is believed that one of Raja's generals Arakkal, who was married to his daughter, secretly practised Islam. Another legend states that the Chirakkal Raja's daughter was rescued from drowning by a young Muslim boy who gave her his 'mundu' (a long piece of fabric) to cover herself and so she had to marry him. According to the local traditions, when a single boy gives away his 'mundu' to an unmarried girl, the couple is pronounced as husband and wife.
The king was very unhappy as his daughter was married to a poor boy belonging to a lower-caste and made him the ruler of the area, which in turn led to the advent of Muslim rule in the province. In the following years, the Arakkal family became one of the most affluent and influential families in the Malabar Coast and the Lakshadweep islands. The Arakkal family followed the matriarchal system, which meant that the first-born, whether male or female, would rule the province.
The supremacy of the Arakkal family continued even after the invasion of the Portuguese and the Dutch rulers in the 17th century. Once the British East Indian Company completely took over the region in the 18th century, the Arakkal clan was forced to cede its power to the colonial rulers.
From 1545 to 1819, the islands of Androth, Kavaratti, Agathi, Minicoy and Kalpeni were in the possession of the Arakkal family, which ruled the North Kerala coast and is based in Kannur.
News 18 adds: The Arakkal family of Cannanore controlled the Lakshadweep islands from 1545 to 1819, which included the islands of Androth, Kavaratti, Agathi, Minicoy and Kalpeni. In 1789, the “Queen of Malabar" Junumabe II lost her fort to the British. (News18)
The Arakkals after 1947
In 1908, Imbichi Ali Raja, the then Arakkal ruler of Lakshadweep, agreed to surrender sovereignty over the islands in return for an annual malikhana (pension) of Rs 23,000—an amount that is still [2021] paid to the family. (News18)
Traditionally, female heads of the Arakkal house are known as Arakkal Beevis, while male heads are called Ali Rajas. (News18)
Eighty-five-year-old Adiraja Mariyumma, alias Cheriya Bikkunhu Beevi, became the new head of the Arakkal family in May 2019. (News18)
Beevi resides at her residence at Arakkal Kettu in Kerala’s Talassery, a town 20 km away from Kannur. She has been residing at Almar Mahal ever since she returned from Chennai 19 years ago. She assumed charge as the new head of the family following the death of her predecessor and cousin, 86-year-old Sulthan Arakkal Adiraja Fathima Muthu Beevi. (News18)
Portuguese Rule
Meanwhile, the islet saw the growing influences of the Portuguese. The descriptions given by Marco Polo about the islands attracted many Portuguese merchants to the place who profited from the coir trade in the region.
The Portuguese controlled the Arabian Sea and, in order to rein in the islanders here, tortured the people of Lakshadweep, ruined their vessels, and exploited their coir reserve. When the island finally got rid of them by 1560, it came under the Arakkal rule of Cannanore (Kannur). (CG Pookoya | TOI)
Dutch interlude
Soon the Dutch also followed but there control in the region was short lived as the local inhabitants drove them out.
British Raj
Just when the Arakkal kings began to monopolize the place, the islands of Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra were captured by Tipu [Sultan] in 1787. However, soon the land fell into the hands of the British after the third Anglo-Mysore War. During that period, the islands were a part of South Karnataka. Soon the British seized the remaining islands from the Lakshadweep archipelago from the Arakkal family. The Arakkal clan was given an annual sum in return and all the islands that came to be govern by the colonial officials.
Five islands of Lakshadweep, which were under Arakkal rule, were given to the British on December 15, 1908, after a prolonged battle. In return, it was decided that Rs 23,000 would be given annually in 12 monthly instalments to the ruler of the family. Besides, a one-time compensation of Rs 70,000 was also given.
CG Pookoya | TOI adds: In comparison to them, the British who took charge after them in the 18 th century, were much fairer to the people. They introduced education and healthcare to the islands, bringing in much-needed reforms. They also divided major parts of the land, which was kept under the custody of the Arakkal rulers, known as ‘Pandaram land’, and gave charge to the local people, while they held onto some land near the port area, known as ‘Arakkal pattom’ . (CG Pookoya | TOI)
Post-Independence
Like the rest of India, the islands also went through some changes with respect to its territories, post independence. In 1956, the state reorganization act detached the islands from the Malabar Coast. Despite the place being dominated by Malayalis, the Indian government segregated its administrative head from the main sub-continent, making it a separate Union Territory by grouping the isles together and declaring Kavaratti the capital of Lakshadweep islands.
Social structure
According to Census 2011, the Muslim community constitutes 96.58 per cent of Lakshadweep’s population. The social structure is based on matrilineal kinship. Contrary to the prevalent societal system, matriliny adheres to a system in which ancestral descent is traced through maternal instead of paternal lines. (News18)
Most people of Lakshadweep are descendants of migrants from the Malabar Coast of southwest India and the islanders are ethnically similar to coastal Kerala’s Malayali community. (News18)
How did Islam and matriliny set afoot in the archipelago?
According to the Journal of South Asian Studies published online by Cambridge University Press in September 2017, the acceptance of Islam by local populations took place between the 8th and 15th centuries when trade in the Indian Ocean was dominated by Muslims. (News18)
Islam represented one of the factors for the unity of the Indian Ocean, but the spread of Islam was not even or consistent; nor were Muslims - the only traders in this ocean. These sea routes linked the Red Sea coast, the Persian Gulf, South India, South Arabia, Persia, Southeast Asia, East Africa and China to each other. (News18)
Matrilineal seafarers and traders from Western Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula traversed the Indian Ocean, triggering major migrations of food culture, animals, musical instruments and maritime technology. (News18)
Archaeological evidence suggests that Muslim sailors and merchants probably stayed through monsoon periods or used the islands as respites. (News18)
According to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes list (modification orders), 1956, the inhabitants of Lakshadweep who and both of whose parents were born in these islands are treated as Scheduled Tribes. There are no Scheduled Castes in this Union Territory. (News18)
Religion And Caste
Excerpted from
V Vijayakumar | Customary Laws of Lakshadweep Islands | Thesis, 1999
Scann1ng err0rs (and there are meny) may k1ndly bc brought tc the notice of thc Facebook community, Indpaedia.com
RELIGION AND CASTE IN THE ISLANDS
The majority of the islanders belong to the Shafi School of the Sunnis.‘ A peculiarity of Lakshadweep islands is the caste among Muslims.
CASTE SYSTEM IN THE ISLANDS
Caste system is alien to Islamic religion. Kovas, Malmis and Melacheris are the castes in the Laccadive group of islands. This is the system prevalent in all the islands except Minicoyz. In Minicoy Island their caste-like classification is Manikfans, Thakrufans, Thakrus and Raveries. All these caste-like ethnic groups are placed in a hierarchical order with Kw, at top and Melacheri at the bottom and the M414 in between. In Minicoy Manikfan corresponds to @3g of Lakshadweep islands. Thakrufans considered being higher social status than 1. The lowest class, the RL:ri, which corresponds to the Melacheri in the Lakshadweep islands. They maintain endogamy at the caste level and exogamy at the tharawad level. Intercaste marriage is still not common.
Koyas
They were the aristocratic lands owing class of this society. Formerly they were known as tharawadis or the Karanavar class. They are claiming that their predecessors were either Nambodhiris or Najirs of the mainland or they are the successors of Nambodhiris or Nairs who first migrated to these islands. Traditionally, they were the proprietors of the unmechanised sailing vessels known as Odi. Till recently entire trade and commerce were their monopoly. The other two lower classes were the tenants in the feudal setup that existed in the islands for centun'es.3 They belong to the original principal families or Tharawads of these islands. In olden days heads of these principal families who were known as Karanavans sat as groups in the community Panchayat known as kmjfl The entire islands were treating this group as a superior class. In those days this landowning and boatowning class was the real masters of the island with voice even in day to day administration of islands.
Malmis
They are sailors or pilots of vessels. _M.fi1_i§ were the teants of K_oLa§. They were the sailors of @ya classes’ boats. The word Iii is having Arab origin, which means who in connected with signs of ways. In the olden days only the bin class were supposed to pilot a vessel.5
Melacheris
They are the labour class of Amini and Laccadive group of islands. They were also tenants of Koya_s. Traditionally, their occupation was climbing coconut trees for plucking nuts, tapping neeera/ meera, and processing coir and rope making.
RELIGION
Sunnis
The majority of the inhabitants of the islands belong to the Shafi Madhab of the Sunnites. This is similar to the situations in mainland of Kerala where the Shafi Sunnis fonn a two-thirds of the Mapil_a Community followed by the Wahabism”. This is an indicator that Islam come to islands from the Malabar Coast, not from Arabia directly”.
Wahabism
Though the number of Wahabis are small their impact on Lakshadweep society is important. The Wahabis have separate mosques in Agatti and Kavaratti.” Wahabis are Muslim purists. They reject all traditional teaching except that of the prophet. They prohibit pilgrimage to the shrines or tombs and try to restore Islam to the condition of its primitive purity. Theodore P.C. Gabriel identifies Wahabism as a growing force in the islands and the number of adherents of these puritans of Islam is increasing in all islands and especially in Minicoy island. Many intellectuals including Arabic teachers who had their study in Arabic Colleges of Kerala and Tamilnadu are behind this movement.”
This movement has to be contra distincted with the peculiarities of Islamic practices in Amindivi and Laccadive Islands. Veneration and propitiation of Saints is very common. Prayers are made to them to cure diseases, for example, and for other benefits. Vows of offerings to saints are undertaken for obtaining favours. Almost every mosque is associated with a saint and vows are fulfilled on the day of annual ceremony held in the mosque in honor of the saint”. A number of Maulud and Andu ceremonies (birth and death anniversaries) for the Saints and Martyrs are held. This is done in a lavish way with much pomp. Arabic verses in praise of the Saint are chanted on these occasions. These anniversaries are celebrated in individual houses also. The elements of ancestral worship is also seen in elaborate celebrations held in Tharawad in honor of Local Saints who happen to be its ancestors. Large number of people are attending this ceremonies.
Achievement of Reformists from the Mainland
Orthodox Sunni leaders opposed the J movement. The were even ex-communicated from the Islamic society of the Laccadives. The Sunni leaders brought scholars of the orthodox school from the main land to attack the Wahabis publicly. After obtaining highest degree in gal of that time, the Afzal-ul-Ulama, in 1956, K.P. Shamsuddeen reached Agatti and found the conflict between Wahabis and Sunnis is very dangerous. The majority Sunnis was persecuting the Wahabis in all ways possible, mainly by social discrimination. Most of the conflict took the form of civil suits ostensibly for land and property disputes but actually provoked by the ideological rift.” In Agatti Island, Thalekkade Mohammed Moulavi (a Melacheri) the originator of the mm movement there, had to face difficulties from orthodox Sunnis.
In 1948 the Sunnis brought a learned ulama from Calicut, Abdullakutty, to conduct the counter propaganda at Agatti. In the public discourses he declared that all Wahabis were (Kafirs) (Unbelievers) and advised the islanders to ostracize them from the Muslim community. He exhorted them to Isolate them socially and also to prevent their participation in prayers at the local mosques. That culminated in great difficulties to Wahabis which made them objects of all sorts of calumny. The Koyas owned the mosques at Agatti and they being the section to lose most by Wahabi egalitarian and fraternal ideals, prohibited the reformers from attending their mosques. The very existence of the at Agatti was threatened. Later the Wahabi movement gained momentum and attracted many more adherents, especially among the younger generation.
Later the Sunni brought another leader, Porkoya Moulavi, for their cause, this time from Androth Island, the Mecca of Laccadives. By that time, the Wahabis had gained quite a sizeable number of followers and Pokoya Moulavi took a compromising approach rather than a direct assault on the Wahabis. He invited the Eli leader and requested him not to aggravate the situation further by propagation of Wajlmj doctrines in the island. Mohammed Koya agreed to this proposition provided the Sunni withdrew the social and religious boycott of the . But Pool<oya’s attempt at reconciliation of the two parties failed. The belligerence of Sunnis towards the flghLMs has continued unabated. They decided to establish their own mosque. The constniction of the Mosque, which commenced in 1950, was completed in 1951
Sunnis Vs Wahabis
The establishment of this Mosque augmented Sunni animosity towards the Wahabis, and they could not prevent them from attending public Sa_lz1’t. The fury of the Suimis found expression in an attach on the Mosque in which it was destroyed The Ll/J filed a criminal suit at the gigs Court. (No executive-judiciary separation was there at that time and Amins were not having any legal qualification)‘ Due to the gravity of the case, it was referred by the Amin to the Deputy Collector (Additional District Magistrate) of Malabar District. While the case was pending at the Collector’s Court, the Wahabis repaired their Mosque. But this was again demolished by the Sunnis. Consequently Wahabis filed another criminal case against the Sunnis. The District Collector heard the cases in 1953, during his visit to the Island. The Collector tried for an amicable settlement. Collector pointed out to the Sunnis that since they had disallowed access by the Wahabis to their mosque it was only just to allow them to construct their own mosques in their own land. The Sunnis could not ignore the Collectors request in view of his administrative and judicial authority and they had to accept that proposition”.
On his return from Calicut, the leadership of the Wahabis was entrusted upon Mr. Shamsuddeen. On 1”‘ November 1956, the Lakshadweep islands became a Union Territory. To end the controversy between the two sects, the first Administrator of islands, Shri S. Mony, convened a meeting of prominent leaders of both factions and was able to effect reconciliation. According to this, a separate mi was appointed for Wahabis, Mr. Shamsuddeen was the first incumbent. Naturally, the Wahabis had refused to recognise to Sunni Quazi who is the judge in religious matters and most social affairs such as divorce.
So by the efforts of civil administrators the Wahabis got religious liberty and freedom of worship as enshrined in our Constitution“. Now Wahabis are having their own Mosques and Madrassa as (religious schools). Their first Mosques “Issattul Islam Juma Masjid” and the first Madrassa Mifttanul — L were started at Agatti island.
Ahamadiyyas
The followers of this sect islands are confined to Kalpeni islands. It is true that they had characteristic missionary zeal and attempted constantly to gain coverts to their sect from all islands. But the movement could not take off any remarkable achievement in the ???
Quadiriyya and Rifai Sects
Another sect is the followers of the great Sufi saint Abdul Qyudir al-Gila [sic] and his disciple. Ahmad-ar-Rifai known popularly as Mohindeen Sheik and Rifai Sheik in the islands’. The adherents of these Sufi orders are noted for the ceremony of Tikkar
In 1950 some Melacheri youths learnt Baith (The Ratiba songs surreptitiously) and went in an occasion of Ratiba being performed at the mohiddin mosque of Amini in the company of some able bodied men and forcibly participated in the Baith. The Koyas, the upper class-were highly incensed at this intrusion into their prerogatives, but they did not indulge in any violent reaction. When they lodged a protest with the Tangal, who was the Khalifa of the Quadiri order in the island, took the stand that caste distinctions were not relevant to the Islamic faith and would not admonish the Melacheri devotees.
Humiliated by this unexpected reply the Koyas subsequently established their own mosques for conducting Ratib ceremonies. The approach of the Kavaratti Tangals in this controversy is interesting. Traditionally the Tangals have more affinity with the higher class Koyas than with the lower class Melacharies owning to the Tangals elevated social position. But, in religious matters they adopted strict neutrality
On festive occasions, such as Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr and Bakr-id, the devotees of Quadiri and Rifai orders used to go round from house to house soliciting gifts for the mosques and performing Ratib. The question that who should lead the Ratib procession led to clashes. The Deputy Tahsildar, who was the then administrative head of the Amindivi Islands, issued a prohibitory order prevailing the procession being taken out, to prevent a disturbance of peace in the island. The traditional heads of the Sufi orders continued to officiate at ceremonies in the Melacharies owned Ratib mosques, in conformity with their stand an equality of all devotees.
How India retained Lakshadweep in 1947
Sardar Patel, Mudaliar brothers, Collector, Kerala Police
Sardar Patel managed to Retain Lakshadweep | Dr. Hari Desai | Tuesday 13th November 2018
• Mudaliar brothers were prompt to take over before Pak ship reaches • 4200 sq.kms. of lagoon, rich in marine wealth, spread over 36 islands
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Deputy Prime Minister of independent India in charge of Home as well as States Ministry, had sent an SOS message to Mudaliar brothers to convey the collector of Travancore to instruct the police officials and the employees to go to Lakshadweep with whatever arms were with them. His instruction was to take possession of the islands closer to the border and hoist the national flag there. “If the police forces no firearms with them, they can take lathis with them but somehow take possession of the area.”
Sardar Patel was farsighted. When the people from Travancore Police reached Lakshadweep and hoisted the Triranga, they found a ship with Pakistan flag sailing towards Lakshadweep with the intention to take over the Muslim majority area in the Arabian Sea. The Pak dream to capture Lakshadweep was shattered after they watch the Indian National Flag and preferred to take U-turn. But for promptness in the action on Indian side, the strategic area of Lakshadweep must have been part of Pakistan forever. The incident took place immediately after India got independence in August 1947 when British left and Pakistan took a shape of a Muslim State.
Mudaliar brothers contributed a lot to take over Lakshadweep in time under the instruction of Sardar Patel. Mudaliar brothers, as T. Ramkrishnan prefers to call them, “the twin stars of Arcot”. They were born as twins brothers becoming leaders in their chosen field, vying with each other in accomplishments and contributing enormously to public policies in a variety of areas. “This summarises the life history of Arcot Ramaswami (A.R.) Mudaliar (1887-1976) and Arcot Lakshmanaswami (A.L.) Mudaliar (1887-1974). Famously called the twin stars of Arcot, the brothers had long innings in public life, spanning over 50 years. Both were educationists and vice-chancellors, one still holding the record of having the longest tenure of 27 years as V- C in any Indian university. Both occupied several positions at the national level, before and after Independence and were seasoned parliamentarians. They received honours both from the British Government and the post-freedom Indian regime. They protected and promoted the interests of the nation. Even in death, they were pretty close: A.R. Mudaliar lived about two more years after his brother A.L. Mudaliar died. And they were institution-builders and visionaries.”
It is the right time to pay tribute to not only the Sardar, but also to the Mudaliar brothers, the then Collector and police personnel of the Travancore ( now Kerala) thanks to their timely efforts India could save Lakshadweep, the heaven on the earth.
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian.]
A Pakistani account
How Pakistan may have Lost an Island Paradise
Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir writes about a fascinating but little-known episode of Partition – the scramble for the Laccadives
The Laccadive Islands lie in the Arabian Sea just North of the Maldives. They are now known as Lakshadweep and are a Union Territory of India. Other than Indian Administered Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep is the only Muslim-majority constituent unit in India. This gives the Islands a unique character and one which was overlooked by the All India Muslim League and later the newly formed Government of Pakistan although an unconfirmed incident shows that the Liaquat Ali Khan Administration did try to make this remote and tropical archipelago a southern extension of Pakistan in the Indian Ocean.
Let us delve into the realm of alternate history and imagine a scenario wherein the Pakistani ship beat the Travancore Police to it and reached the Laccadives before the Indian flag was hoisted
If the islands had been a separate entity perhaps the Pakistani leadership would have paid more attention to the archipelago in the days leading up to the 1947 Partition, but like the rest of South India the Madras Muslim League never really had any aspirations to extend partition to the South and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was adamant that the principle of non-contiguity must be adhered to, i.e. any part of India with a Muslim majority that did not directly border either the Western or Eastern wings of Pakistan could not be a part of the new dominion. In any case, it seems that Pakistan simply overlooked the Laccadives.
But unconfirmed reports on both sides show that Pakistan did eventually realize this and tried to take control of the islands in August 1947.
The exact dates are not confirmed but sometime in the end of August, 1947, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, realized that a Muslim majority region had been excluded from Pakistan and that he had a chance to take control of it. At around the same time the Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Vallabhbhai Patel, also started to think about those very islands. There is not much information about how both came around to thinking about this archipelago of coral atolls in the Arabian Sea.
From the Pakistani side this would not seem odd as there was a large Malabari Muslim community in Karachi itself, mostly involved in the spice trade, and they might have been able to convey the message to those in power about annexing the Laccadives. However it came about, the Royal Pakistan Navy sent a warship south from Karachi. Meanwhile in India Patel somehow came to the conclusion that the islands may be at risk. It is not entirely unfeasible that he got wind of the developments in Karachi. He immediately sent instructions to the Collector of Revenue in Travancore to get to the main Island, Kavaratti, with a police escort and raise the Indian Tricolour. This went as planned and after a brief flag raising ceremony the archipelago was cemented in the Indian Union. Soon afterwards the Pakistani ships reached the Island and saw the Indian flag flying.
Adminsitrative history
Till 1956, it was a part of Kerala, under the Madras state, when the government of India granted it the status of a union territory. The administration of the territory is presided over by an administrator, who reports to the President of India, and is in charge of the elected members of the district panchayats. (CG Pookoya | TOI)
The island also has one parliamentarian representing it in the Lok Sabha. (CG Pookoya | TOI)
Today there are five national parties, including the BJP, in the islands. As per the 2011 Census, it boasts of a total population 64,473, out of which 96.58 per cent are Muslims. Though people, by and large, are politically motivated, there is no rivalry as such between the parties as everyone knows each other. (CG Pookoya | TOI)
Administrators
List
Commentary
This section is mainly by CG Pookoya | TOI
Murkoth Ramunni, who was incidentally the first IAF pilot from
Kerala, was responsible for adding schools and health centres during his term. He helped in shifting the headquarters from Calicut to Kavaratti in 1964. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
There was also Omesh Saigal, an administrator, who brought in reforms in communication and transport, introducing a helicopter service, new ships and promoted tourism, which the people welcomed whole-heartedly. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
Administrators appointed by the government [till the late-2010s] have been largely IAS and IPS officers. Though [Farooq Khan and D Sharma,] the two [NDA/BJP- appointed] administrators [immediately preceding PK Patel] were political appointments, they were retired IPS officers who cooperated with the local people and people mostly happy with them. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
1960s: Policing a crime-free UT
Policing in the islands began with effect from 22.11.58 by the establishment of the first Police stations at Minicoy. The staff posted therein consisted of a strength of one S.I., 2 HCs and 5 Constables who were deputationists and ex-servicemen from mainland. The second Police station came into being at Androth during the same year. Police stations in other inhabited islands were established in 1960’s . The outpost at Bitra under Chetlath Police Station and the aid post at Bangaram under Agatti Police Station respectively started functioning during the year 1991. CrPC and IPC were extended to this Union Territory with effect from 1.11.67. From 1956 till 1.11.1967, the local Amins were functioning at 3rd Class Magistrates and discharging Police duties in their respective islands. Other Acts were extended subsequently.
Administrator is the ex-officio IGP . An Officer of the rank of Dy.S.P. was the executive head of the force from 1964 to 1974 assisted by one Inspector at Minicoy . His HQ was later shifted to Kavaratti. The present set up is based on the report on “Reorganisation of Police in the LMA group of islands” prepared by Sri Kripal Singh IPS DIG Delhi Administration during the year 1969. Shri P.V.Sinari, the first IPS Officer joined the force on 16.1.74. The first batch of constables recruited on 13.7.64 were posted in the islands after basic training in January 1965. The first batch of direct entry Sub Inspectors recruited in 1971 joined the force in October 1972. The deputation system was discontinued since 1978 and the vacant posts were filled up with qualified officers from the force. of these, a strength of one HC and 16 Police Constables are women. During April 2003, 26 Police constables were recruited and they are being sent for the basic training in October. The Police force consists of personnel from Kerala and the islands.
Lakshadweep Police Wireless was established in 1980 and is functioning under the Inspector (Communication). Officers of the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector (Wireless Operator) are managing the wireless station in the islands. The islands are connected with High Frequency interfaced with BEST equipments, VHF and UHF. We are awaiting introduction of POLNET system in the islands through which the connectivity with the rest of the country can be a reality. A special Branch unit is functioning at H.Q. Kavaratti headed by an Inspector of Police and under the direct control of the Superintendent of Police. Similar units are functioning at Kochi and Kozhikode also. The staff Officer to the S.P. manages the personal section of S.P. The security of the only airport at Agatti is managed by the strength of an Inspector, one S.I., one (SI woman), 2 HCs and 5 constables since 16.4.88. The Police station in each island is managed by an officer of the rank of Sub Inspector except at Minicoy where an Inspector is posted as the OIC. They are also designated as Registration Officers under LMA Islands (Restriction on Entry and residence rules 1967) and Prohibition Officers under Lakshadweep Prohibition Regulation 1967. The Police Stations except Chetlath is provided with a jeep and motor cycle.
Lakshadweep being the smallest in the country, the Police force is also very small. The crime rate is also the lowest in the country. The cases reported at the Police Stations amount to thefts, trespass, rioting , mischief criminal breach of trust etc. Heinous crimes are rare. Only three murder cases are reported so far, two at Androth and one at Kalpeni respectively. A Fire Protection and Control unit has also been established in the Union Territory since 1994 and are functioning in major islands of Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti and Androth under the control of the OIC Police stations. The Superintendent of Police is designated as the Chief Fire Officer. One fire tender each is available in the above islands in addition to fire fighting equipments. Separate fire stations have been established at Androth and Minicoy during 1996 and 1999 respectively. A Vigilance and anticorruption unit is also functioning here under the supervision of Vigilance Officer at Secretariat. Two companies of MPSAF which were stationed in the islands since 1974 has been replaced by the India Reserve Battalion raised for Lakshadweep. Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli since January 2001 headed by the Commandant at H.Q.Kavaratti. The officers and men of the force have been imparted training in various subjects including modern techniques in investigation and computer training. SCRB / DCRB is functioning at PHQ. The Deputy Superintendent of Police is the Drawing and Disbursing Officer for the entire police force and fire force spread in the islands. He is assisted by the accounts and establishment sections.
Tourism
What about tourism in Lakshadweep?
Out of a total of 36, only 10 islands of Lakshadweep are inhabited by the local populace – Andrott, Amini, Agatti, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmath, Kalpeni, Kiltan, Minicoy and Kavaratti; the latter being the headquarters of the Union Territory. The 11th island, Bangaram, holds a resort. (News18)
Kadmat is the centremost island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, the only island open to non-Indian visitors. Indians too can visit only one-third of the islands in order to protect the ecological balance and give the indigenous tribes their much need space. (News18)
A former Secretary, Tourism, Government of India, noted that Lakshadweep was not keen on central funds for tourism. Representatives of the UT told him that they wanted tourism but not ‘bikini-tourism.’
2013 Arakkal family's demands
Pay more or return Lakshadweep: Arakkal family demands
In 2013 the Arakkal family raised an apparently bizarre demand after the row over the disputed KeyiRubath property in Saudi Arabia. The only Muslim family to have ruled a kingdom in the state has asked the Union government to either return the Lakshadweep Islands to it or revise the malikhana (compensation) being given to it.
In 1908, when the family signed the final deal with the British, the price of gold was Rs 3.30 per sovereign, says the current generation. "If you look at the present gold prices, we are entitled to Rs 13 crore a year as compensation,” claimed Adi Raja Muhammed Rafi, son of the then [2013] ‘royal’ head Sainaba Aysha Beevi.
"The demand might sound weird but we have justification for the same," said Rafi, a trustee of the Arakkal royal trust that raised the demand. Rafi said the family of 150 was struggling to finance its royal rituals and maintain its infrastructure, which includes four mosques.
"At that time [Rs 23,000 a year] was a huge amount, but even after over 100 years, we are being given the same amount. We feel humiliated to take the beevi every month to the treasury to collect the monthly instalment of Rs 1,916.12," Rafi said. "The beevi is now bedridden. While all the royal families are given various benefits, including pension, we are denied the respect we deserve."
[A month before Rafi’s demand, in June 2013 the Kerala government decided to give a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 each to 826 members of the Kozhikode-based Zamorin royal family. The Zamorins had ruled the Malabar coast for several centuries.]
He said the palace of the family, Arakkal kettu, was declared a protected monument by the archaeological department but it was facing neglect. "If we calculate the present value of the amount settled with the company for the islands, it would run into crores. We are not demanding a huge amount but a reasonably good sum required for a respectable living for the royal family that gave its assets to the state."
Mohammed Koyamma Adiraja, another trust member, said the issue was brought to the attention of the state and the central governments in 2010 as well.
The family had [around 2012] entered into a dispute over the Rs 5,000-crore compensation from the Saudi government for demolishing Keyi Rubath, a bungalow built in Mecca for Haj pilgrims from Kerala, with the Keyi family.
What was the pension controversy?
New 18 adds: In July 2013, the Arakkal family demanded a higher compensation from the government, if not the islands themselves. (News18)
The royal family feels insulted at the pittance being paid," Adi Raja Muhammed Rafi, son of the then royal head Sainaba Aysha Beevi had told Indian Express. (News18)
Rafi had said the family of 150 was struggling to finance its royal rituals and maintain its infrastructure, which includes four mosques. (News18)
Praful Khoda Patel [2020- ]
Praful Khoda Patel – who was the administrator of Daman and Diu – took the additional charge of Lakshadweep after the demise of administrator Dineshwar Sharma
Unlike his predecessors who used to reside at Kavaratti Island and would visit the other islands occasionally, Patel does not live in Lakshadweep, and therefore is not privy to the concerns of the people here. He only visits the islands once a month, and that too for a short duration of time, to fulfill his administrative duties, and often leaves without meeting the local leaders. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
Patel wants to bring large scale development and tourism to the islands, but the people of Lakshadweep don’t want these disruptive reforms at the cost of them affecting the cultural, ecological, social and economic ethos and status of these islands. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
It’s not that previous administrators have not been interested in bringing development to the islands: What upsets islanders is that when Patel and his associates landed in Lakshadweep in December 2020, they did so without following any Covid safety protocols, which the islands were strictly adhering to, and had managed to not have a single Covid case till the beginning of this year. Following this, he changed the guidelines by removing the quarantine procedure in the mainland, encouraging people to travel freely. Today there are 6,400 plus cases reported in Lakshadweep, with many dead. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
The administrator has also severely curtailed the powers of the district panchayat, especially in the areas of education, health, fisheries and animal husbandry. In a place, which also boasts of a zero-crime rate, the new administrator wants to bring in the 'goonda act 2021, where citizens can be imprisoned without a trial. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
The people here are religious and open-hearted, and have traditionally been cooperative with the government. But these sweeping orders, like not supplying non-veg lunch as part of the mid-day meal in schools; banning the sale and consumption of beef; and opening liquor bars, which was prohibited in obeisance to local culture as per rules made by the government of India when Morarji Desai was PM, to promote tourism; destroying fishing huts knowing fully well a majority of the population depends on it – and that too without discussing with elected leaders, local bodies and advisory committee members, has hurt the sentiments of the people gravely. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
According to the new Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation Act 2021, any land can be fetched by the government for developmental purposes. It also proposes to cut off thousands of coconut trees and to bulldoze several houses to make the island a ‘smart city’. (CG Pookoya | Why we are asking Lakshadweep to be saved | May 28, 2021| The Times of India)
2021: unrest on tranquil islands
The new administrator of Muslim-majority Lakshadweep has been accused of moving to ban beef-eating and cattle transport, cracking down on protests and destroying the fishing infrastructure.
Patel is the first politician since Independence to be appointed administrator — the islands’ topmost official authority — with all his predecessors having been civil servants.
Polticians pointed to several of his actions: the expulsion of non-vegetarian food from school midday meals and hostel dining halls; a two-child norm for panchayat poll contestants that mirrors a parivar prejudice against Muslims; the dismissal of 2,000 temporary government workers.
“His (amendment of the 1994 panchayati raj rules) to not allow people with more than two children into local bodies itself,” Balram, [politician], told this correspondent.
Of the 36 islands that make up the Union Territory, only 10 have a human presence. The overwhelming majority of Lakshadweep’s 65,000-odd people are Muslim.
Gag on dissent
Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress Party leader Muhammed Faizal said that Patel had enforced the “Control of Goonda Act on the islands, where crime is rare, only to make people insecure so they don’t protest against his dictatorial regime”.
“All the posters and boards erected here against the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act have been removed,” Faizal said.
The Control of Goonda Act allows arrests without warrants and facilitates long detentions.
Fishing blow
Apart from moving to stop the sale, consumption, storage and transport of beef in a Union Territory where meat and fish are staple diets, Patel has cracked down on the fishing community that makes up more than 80 per cent of the local population.
His administration has removed their temporary huts, sheds, boats, net-drying facilities and storage spaces from the shores citing violation of coastal zone norms.
Liquor licences
With Muslims making up “over 96 per cent of the population” of Lakshadweep, “in accordance with the religious and cultural beliefs of the community, the consumption of alcohol was banned on the islands”, Viswam has written to Kovind.
“However, in a recent decision, the administration has begun issuing liquor licences under the guise of promoting tourism and individual freedom, thereby completely ignoring the socio-cultural context of the area,” Viswam’s letter says.
“The islands had effectively kept away Covid till last December through social distancing and adherence to the protocols. But they are now witnessing many positive cases after the administrator lifted all Covid regulatory norms,” Faizal said.
He said that people arriving from outside were earlier required to quarantine themselves but Patel relaxed those norms in the name of promoting tourism.
As a result, Lakshadweep has seen “over 4,000 cases with over 20 deaths already”, Viswam has written to Kovind. “Further, the pressure on the health infrastructure of the islands has increased manifold leaving the population vulnerable and worried.”
Kerala snub
CPM Rajya Sabha member Elamarom Kareem, who has written to Kovind seeking Patel’s recall, said the administrator had instructed ship and boat operators to ignore the ancient port of Beypore in north Kerala and prefer Mangalore port in south Karnataka when they sail to the mainland.
“The islanders speak Malayalam and are culturally connected to Kerala. Beypore port has been the link between the mainland and the islands for generations. Now the administrator is trying to sever the link between the island natives and Kerala,” Kareem said.
Sacking spree
Viswam said over 2,000 temporary government servants had been sacked in the past six months even before completing their tenures and suggested the motive was sectarian.
“The administrator has also sealed off 38 Anganwadi centres, meant to provide nutritious food to children and pregnant or lactating women. The tourism department has fired 109 employees under the administrator’s orders,” he said.
All this was done on the plea that these Anganwadis and posts were redundant. But many islanders fear the agenda is to fill the posts later with non-Muslims from Kerala and Karnataka.
Environment
A Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, has been drafted to facilitate the “progressive development of land in both urban and rural areas” and to confer additional powers for acquisition. The islanders fear this will hurt the archipelago’s fragile and diverse ecosystem.
Patel became Gujarat home minister in 2010 after Amit Shah had to vacate the post following the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Patel stayed in the job till 2012.
Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress Party leader Muhammed Faizal said: “The island is being surrendered to big corporates. A 15 metre wide road is being planned for tourism on an island of 3.5sqkm. This is being done after evacuating the people from their land. Such steps are being taken to serve whose interests?”
The administrator unilaterally implements his agenda without adequate consultation with the people, Faisal claimed and called for protests against the “anti-people” measures.
Court setback
The Lakshadweep administration suffered a setback as Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed its order directing the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) to attend pending legal works of various government departments, instead of carrying out his duties in the courts there.
The court granted the stay on a PIL by an islander Mohammed Saleem challenging the administration’s directive to the APP posted in Andrott and Amini islands, to attend to legal works of several departments, including preparation of chargesheet to help the police.
Lakshadweep is under the jurisdiction of Kerala High Court.
8 quit BJP in Lakshadweep over new laws The Times of India 27 May 2021
The chorus within BJP for Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel’s recall has grown louder, with eight members of the party’s Yuva Morcha resigning in the past two days and several more indicating they might do likewise in protest against “plain autocratic governance”.
Former Yuva Morcha general secretary P P Mohammed Hashim said others still in the organisation were just as frustrated over the administrator’s decisions and proposals, including a blanket beef ban and a new draft regulation for prevention of anti-social activities. “We joined BJP with the intention of bringing development to the islands. But the administrator doesn’t listen to anyone and foists his orders on us,” he said.
‘Patel’s rule is disrupting the life of islanders’
(He has) Banned beef products, citing Animal Preservation and demolished fishermen’s sheds built on the coastal areas, saying they violated the Coast Guard Act.
Hashim said they decided to quit as the administrator’s rule is disrupting the life of the islanders..
Hashim said the statements of BJP functionaries in Kerala against Lakshadweep amid the crisis had been hurtful, too. “A senior member from Kerala said before the media that terrorist activities and drug trafficking were going on in Lakshadweep. If you have ever been to Lakshadweep, you would know how peaceful this place is. They are planning to put the blame on the islanders even for seizure of contraband from boats in the sea, several nautical miles away from the islands.”
Lakshadweep is among the country's least crime-prone regions, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The 2019 NCRB report shows the archipelago reported no case of murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery and dacoity.
The islanders are suspicious of the draft prevention of anti-social activities regulation because it proposes to vest immense powers on the administrator, including clauses allowing detention of a person for six months to a year just to “prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order”.
“Does Lakshadweep have history of such serious crime or terrorism? So, basically what they are intending to do is to scare the people,” said Mohammed Faizal PP, the MP representing the archipelago.
Patel said the Anti-Social Activities Regulation Bill 2021, or the Goonda Act, is necessary to check criminal activities, especially large-scale smuggling of cannabis and illegal liquor trade. “Those who say there is no crime in Lakshadweep are not telling the truth,” he said. (News18).
