The new report 19. July claimed that the Lakshadweep government plans to take over the island of Bitra. The administration of the administration invited a strong protest of the locals and the Lakshadweep MP Hamdullah Sayeeda, who said: “The country passing our ancestors is only ours.
Where is the island of Bitra?
Bitra is the smallest inhabited island located in the northern Lakshadweep area. According to government websites, it has a length of 0.57 km and a width of 0.28 km at the widest point.
It is about 483 km from Kochi, Kerala. According to the People census in 2011, the population of the island of Bitra 271 is the island of Bitra.
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Why does the Lakshwadeep management want to take over Bitra Iceland?
The Lakshadweep Management is considering the acquisition of Bitra for defense purposes, the PTI press agency reported.
The government announcement issued on July 11 outlined this proposal to the Ministry of Income to take over the whole area of the island of Bitra and transferred it to the relevant defensive and strategic agencies of the center.
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The announcement explained that the initiative is powered by the strategic location of the island, its national security relevance and inherent logistics and administrative challenges that represent civilian housing.
If the plan is implemented, Bitra would become the third island of Lakshadweep to host a defensive device, after INS Dweepakshak in Kavaratti and Ins Jatayu in Minicoy.
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The strategic meaning of bitra
According to CSR JournalThe island of Bitra is strategically important to India because it lies in the key position in the Arab Sea. Its proximity to the main international boat routes makes it important for supervision and defense.
The magazine further claimed that this step is part of a larger national plan to increase the presence of defense on Indian critical island territories.
“After recent strategic upgrades in the Navy Indian Navy and Androth Islands, Bitra came to the acquisition to complement the Indian tracking network in the Arab Sea,” he added.
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Minicoy is the South Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, which crosses the primary naval trade route between Malacca Strait and Aden and Hormuz.
The report also quoted defense experts as a claim that military installations on these islands will help India to watch careful naval streets, against illegal activities and respond quickly to the naval threats represented by neighboring countries.
“Balance between National Security and Population Rights”
With the last government plan to increase his defense, the future of Bitra’s population remains uncertain. There are reportedly 105 families on the island and many of them opposed the move.
According to South First, Islanders launched a social media campaign called “Save Bitra Island” and organized a protest in Kochi against the administration. Demonstrators also burned a copy of the order and a picture of the administrator Preful Patel.
CSR magazine said that “because India seeks to strengthen its presence in the Indian Ocean through the fortifications of Key Island, the balance between the needs of national security and the rights of the population is again tested in distant regions, such as LacShadweep.”
Why do the locals protest?
Lakshadweep MP Hamdullah Sayeed criticized the government step as an attempt to push the indigenous population. In the Instagram post, he said that the government step was unfair and that “this country passed on to our ancestors is only ours.”
In his statement issued by his office, the deputy stated that Bitra was the smallest inhabited island in UT and he would strongly protest against the administration attempt to obtain it under the pretext of defense requirements.
Sayeed said that the land needed for defense purposes has already been acquired on several islands. He said that targeting a bitra, which has a permanent population for decades without considering any of these alternatives, is completely unacceptable.
He further criticized the administration for the launch of such events without any consultation with the indigenous people, especially at a time when there are no functioning of the local Panchayat on the islands.
He stated that this kind of unilateral action is undermined by a democratic system and violates constitutional rights guaranteed to citizens.
MP Hamdullah Sayeed has expanded its full support to the local residents of the island. He promised to raise this problem in parliament and explored legal and political channels to resist the plan. He also demanded that this decision to withdraw immediately.
Journey to us
The final acquisition decision will depend on the findings of the assessment of the social impact and the attitude of the central government.
The Lakshadweep Administration would take over the island according to the relevant provisions of the right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition, rehabilitation and resestlement of 2013, for which a social impact study must be performed for the affected area.
The district collector Shivam Chandra said that all parties involved, including Gram Sabhas, will be consulted as part of the social impact assessment initiatives.
The survey of the proposed area within the acquisition would be completed within two months from the date of publication of the notification of 11 July, he added.
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