As eviction looms large, Bitra islanders collect land records
TOI reported on Saturday about the Lakshadweep revenue department's proposal to acquire the island and transfer it to relevant defence and strategic agencies.
Lakshadweep administration is yet to come out with an official communication on the issue. At the same time, the notification was clear that the acquisition was necessitated by the island's strategic location, national security relevance and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation.
Bitra resident Muhammed Yasin is apprehensive that they will have to eventually leave the island since the proposal is to hand it over for defence purposes.
"I spoke to a lawyer and he said since the Lakshadweep natives are categorised as Scheduled Tribes (ST), our land cannot be seized that quickly. I am also hopeful that the discussions by political leaders, including our MP, will be fruitful," said Yasin.
He said they took out a rally on Friday evening to mark their protest.
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"Since the notification has mentioned that the survey (as part of the social impact assessment) may take two months to complete, we have started doing whatever we need to. We have entrusted a group of youngsters with the task of collecting landowners' details by visiting their houses. In Bitra, there are some landowners who are not permanent residents of the island.
We plan to identify even those non-resident landowners so that we can present a united front," said Yasin, adding that they were also preparing to move court.
Another Bitra resident said on condition of anonymity that while a section of the population has relatives and property on adjacent islands, a significant number has nowhere else to go.
Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep Students Association (LSA), an independent organisation formed in 1970, held a protest in Kochi, burning the notification. "The move can only be considered as a continuation of the Lakshadweep administration's efforts to take over the islanders' land.
The properties in the name of the islanders in uninhabited islands, where they used to farm, were earlier acquired, ignoring the natives' claims.
Subsequently, there was an attempt to claim the land in inhabited islands possessed by natives categorised as Pandaram land. Now, they are going to take over an entire island, uprooting the islanders from their habitat," said LSA president Misbahudheen P.
He said it was worrying that the notification said that the consent of gram sabhas or owners was not mandatory to acquire the lands.
"The notification lacks clarity and raises a lot of questions. Even if they are taking over the island for security reasons, where would the people go? There is no reference about the same. The opinion of the residents was not sought either before issuing the notification," said Misbahudheen, adding that they would launch further protests if the administration went ahead with the proposal.
Kochi: As eviction looms large, the residents of Bitra Island in Lakshadweep are growing increasingly anxious.
The residents are busy collecting details of land records to ensure that they are in order in the backdrop of the Lakshadweep UT administration's move to acquire the island's entire land area for defence purposes.
TOI reported on Saturday about the Lakshadweep revenue department's proposal to acquire the island and transfer it to relevant defence and strategic agencies.
Lakshadweep administration is yet to come out with an official communication on the issue.
At the same time, the notification was clear that the acquisition was necessitated by the island's strategic location, national security relevance and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation.
Bitra resident Muhammed Yasin is apprehensive that they will have to eventually leave the island since the proposal is to hand it over for defence purposes.
"I spoke to a lawyer and he said since the Lakshadweep natives are categorised as Scheduled Tribes (ST), our land cannot be seized that quickly.
I am also hopeful that the discussions by political leaders, including our MP, will be fruitful," said Yasin.
He said they took out a rally on Friday evening to mark their protest. "Since the notification has mentioned that the survey (as part of the social impact assessment) may take two months to complete, we have started doing whatever we need to. We have entrusted a group of youngsters with the task of collecting landowners' details by visiting their houses.
In Bitra, there are some landowners who are not permanent residents of the island.
We plan to identify even those non-resident landowners so that we can present a united front," said Yasin, adding that they were also preparing to move court.
Another Bitra resident said on condition of anonymity that while a section of the population has relatives and property on adjacent islands, a significant number has nowhere else to go.
Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep Students Association (LSA), an independent organisation formed in 1970, held a protest in Kochi, burning the notification. "The move can only be considered as a continuation of the Lakshadweep administration's efforts to take over the islanders' land. The properties in the name of the islanders in uninhabited islands, where they used to farm, were earlier acquired, ignoring the natives' claims.
Subsequently, there was an attempt to claim the land in inhabited islands possessed by natives categorised as Pandaram land. Now, they are going to take over an entire island, uprooting the islanders from their habitat," said LSA president Misbahudheen P.
He said it was worrying that the notification said that the consent of gram sabhas or owners was not mandatory to acquire the lands. "The notification lacks clarity and raises a lot of questions. Even if they are taking over the island for security reasons, where would the people go? There is no reference about the same. The opinion of the residents was not sought either before issuing the notification," said Misbahudheen, adding that they would launch further protests if the administration went ahead with the proposal.
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