AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Residents of the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea, whose population is predominantly Muslim, have protested the Indian central government’s move to forcibly acquire privately owned land on Agatti Island. The plan is intended to facilitate tourism and infrastructure projects and is being pursued without the consent of local communities or landowners.
The federally appointed administration of India has announced plans to acquire approximately 101,000 square meters of land on Agatti Island, an area accounting for more than three percent of the island’s total size. The decision has triggered widespread concern in a region where land is scarce, often communally managed, and essential to residents’ livelihoods. Agatti is one of only ten inhabited islands in Lakshadweep and hosts the territory’s sole airport.
According to the Hindustan Times, the land acquisition notification issued in early January states that approval from local councils and landowners “is not mandatory,” despite India’s national laws, particularly those governing tribal areas, requiring community consent and social impact assessments.
Local residents argue that the move not only violates India’s domestic legal framework but also contravenes environmental regulations designed to protect the islands’ fragile coral ecosystems. In a memorandum addressed to federal tribal affairs bodies, they said that similar projects over the past five years have targeted tribal lands without transparency or consultation.
More than 96 percent of Lakshadweep’s population is Muslim, and the territory is officially designated as a tribal area. Local opposition groups view these developments as part of a broader pattern of intervention by the Hindu nationalist government led by Narendra Modi, which they say has reshaped the islands’ governance by increasing administrative control and diminishing the role of elected representatives.
Previous measures, including restrictions on beef consumption, proposals to lift the ban on alcohol, and efforts to remove Arabic and local languages from educational curricula, had already sparked protests under the banner of “Save Lakshadweep.” Demonstrators argued that such policies were incompatible with the religious and cultural identity of the population.
With the revival of the land acquisition plan, concerns have once again intensified. Protesters warn that large-scale tourism development and the construction of concrete coastal roads would not only undermine property rights but also damage coral reefs, lagoons, and the islands’ natural defenses against erosion and climate change. These risks are especially acute in a region considered among India’s most vulnerable to rising sea levels.
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