Hundreds of people in Lakshadweep take part in hunger stir against administration

Hundreds of people in Lakshadweep took part in a dawn to dusk hunger stir as a mark of protest against the various decisions of the Praful Khoda Patel-led administration on Monday.

People, including women and children, staged the protest in their houses by holding placards, while panchayat members staged the stir at panchayat offices.

Save Lakshadweep, a forum of all political parties, made the 12-hour stir call. Even BJP workers of the islands reportedly took part in the protests.

All normal activities on the island also came to a halt during the day. Different modes of protests were also witnessed with youths staging protests under the sea and children posting their protest on social media.

Assistant secretary of the local cooperative society at Kavaratti, Cheriya Koya, said that there was overwhelming participation of the islanders in the protests despite the administration warning of actions against gatherings and imposing curfew.

Resentment has been brewing among the islanders against the Lakshadweep administration over a series of decisions like beef ban, disqualifying parents of more than two children from contesting panchayat elections, powers to take over private properties, imposing hefty fines and terminating many from service.

Though the Centre assured that the concerns of the people would be addressed, so far there are no favourable moves from the government.