India plans takeover of Muslim-majority island

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Residents of Lakshadweep, a remote Muslim-majority archipelago in the Arabian Sea, are protesting a move by India’s federally appointed administration to acquire private land on Agatti Island for tourism and infrastructure projects without the consent of local communities or landowners.

The administration has announced plans to take over about 101,000 square meters of land on Agatti — more than 3% of the island’s total area — prompting fears of dispossession in a territory where land is scarce, communally held, and central to livelihoods. Agatti is one of only 10 inhabited islands in Lakshadweep and serves as the territory’s main gateway, including its only airport.

According to Hindustan Times, the land acquisition notice issued in early January explicitly states that approval from village councils and landowners would “not be mandatory,” despite national laws that require community consent and social impact assessments for land acquisition affecting tribal and indigenous populations.

Islanders say the move violates both Indian law and environmental safeguards governing the fragile coral ecosystem. In a memorandum sent to federal tribal affairs authorities and oversight bodies, residents described the notification as alarming and said similar projects over the past five years have repeatedly targeted tribal land holdings without justification, consultation, or transparency.

More than 96% of Lakshadweep’s population is Muslim, and the islands are officially classified as a tribal area under Indian law. Local opposition groups argue that the land push cannot be separated from a broader pattern of interventions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, which they say has reshaped governance in the islands since New Delhi tightened administrative control through appointed officials rather than elected representatives.

Previous policy changes — including restrictions on beef consumption, proposals to relax long-standing alcohol prohibitions, and attempts to remove Arabic and local languages from school curricula — triggered widespread protests under the banner of the “Save Lakshadweep” movement. Many residents and rights advocates viewed those measures as culturally intrusive and hostile to the islands’ Muslim identity and way of life.

The current land plan has revived those concerns. Residents warn that large-scale tourism development threatens not only property rights but also the environment that sustains the islands. 

Community representatives say the administration is pushing road construction and concrete infrastructure along the coastline despite existing roads and despite environmental rules that designate much of the shoreline as a no-development zone.

Agatti’s coastline stretches about 15 kilometers, and residents say plans for a wide concrete road along the shore would damage coral reefs, lagoons, and the island’s natural defenses against erosion and climate change. Lakshadweep is among India’s most climate-vulnerable regions, with rising sea levels posing an existential threat.

Geographically, the stakes are high. Lakshadweep comprises 36 small islands, of which only 10 are inhabited. The total land area of the territory is just 32 square kilometers, surrounded by a vast lagoon system spanning more than 4,000 square kilometers. Any large-scale land acquisition, residents say, has outsized consequences.

For islanders, the dispute is not only about development but about consent, survival, and control. Protesters argue that decisions affecting a tiny, ecologically fragile, Muslim-majority population are being made far from the islands, with little regard for local law, culture, or democratic participation.