FM’s spotlight on Dweep evokes mixed response

Kochi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement in the interim budget that the central govt has big plans to promote tourism infrastructure development in Lakshadweep has evoked positive responses among the island's residents, though activists and politicians warned that such plans should be firmly aligned to local requirements and interests.
“There are immense possibilities to tap the tourism potential of the island and government projects would help the development of the entire region,” Lakshadweep’s district collector Arjun Mohan told TOI.
In her budget speech, Sitharaman said “to address fervor for domestic tourism, projects for port connectivity, tourism infra and amenities will be taken on our islands including Lakshadweep”. She also pointed out the project will help in generating employment in the region.
Concurring with the FM, Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faisal said that the people of the island will happily welcome tourism development activities as it will bring development to the entire area and will also generate employment opportunities. However, the MP asked the govt to ensure that the rights of islands’ residents are protected while implementing the projects. “If the govt supports the land-grabbing agenda of corporations in the name of tourism projects, it will evoke strong protest among the people of the island. The long standing dispute over the ownership of land will discourage investments in the island. So the government should take steps to avoid such issues which will create difficulties to local people”, he said.
The budget announcement has special significance in the backdrop of the recent India-Maldives controversy erupted after PM Narendra Modi posted images on social platform X of himself snorkelling and strolling along a picturesque beach in Lakshadweep.
Responding to the budget announcement, Komalan Koya, former coordinator of Save Lakshadweep Forum said that people of the island will support tourism infrastructure development initiatives if there is no hidden agenda behind such projects. “There was a proposal to develop the Lakshadweep Islands in the model of Maldives. But the govt is not interested in going ahead with that proposal. Instead, it is going ahead with some other proposals allegedly to support corporate firms. We will strongly oppose such projects which are aiming to grab land from the local people”, he said adding that the govt should consider the demand of local people while implementing tourism projects.