WITH its shimmering lagoons, coral reefs, a line of silver sand beaches and rows of coconut palms, the serene Lakshadweep archipelago is a paradise for tourists and environmentalists. But in recent weeks Lakshadweep has been making it to the front pages not for its natural beauty, but regulations that the administrator of the islands proposes to impose on them.
Praful Koda Patel, administrator since 2020, has rapidly drafted regulations which local people object to because they tamper with their way of life. The majority of the population, about 97 percent, is Muslim, but the administrator has proposed allowing bars to. . .
