The Save Lakshadweep Forum, a collective of all political formations in the union territory which was formed to fight the unwelcome reforms being pushed by the administrator Praful Khoda Patel, may observe a ‘black day’ on June 14, the day Mr. Patel is slated to arrive at Kavaratti for a week-long visit.
A suggestion that came up at a meeting of the forum was that everyone should wear black masks and badge and protest in front of their homes on the day of Mr. Patel’s arrival. The meeting resolved to support filmmaker and Lakshadweep native Aisha Sultana, who has been charged with sedition for a television comment. The sole BJP member in the forum’s core committee did not support the decision.
A press release issued by the forum said that none of its members should deviate from its core agenda which was to see the back of Mr. Patel, besides a roll back of the unwieldy, ecologically damaging draft reforms.
Whether the BJP, which filed the complaint against Ms. Sultana and was against the clamour for the recall of Mr. Patel, should be retained in the forum was discussed and the party was given the option of leaving the forum.
Efforts would be taken in the meantime to keep the unity of the islanders across political lines intact. The islanders would be made wary of vested interests trying to leverage the protests to push their divisive agenda and portray the present crisis as stemming from a religious issue.
A meeting to be held late on Saturday night would take a call on the mode of protest against Mr. Patel.
