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The idyllic island chain of Lakshadweep is in ferment. A string of regulations proposed by its administrator, Praful Khoda Patel, a politician of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has stirred a storm in the archipelago.
Calls are mounting for withdrawal of the controversial rules and Patel’s recall.
An archipelago of 36 islands, Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea. It is just 220 to 440 kilometers from the southern Indian state of Kerala. Its 70,000-strong population is predominantly Muslim and although the people have strong ties with Kerala, they have a distinct social and cultural identity.
This distinct identity could be under threat.
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A draft law called Prevention of Anti-Social Activities has also raised eyebrows, given that the archipelago has the lowest crime rate among States/U.T.s