From pristine beaches to breath-taking snorkelling experience, Lakshadweep has it all. Photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to India’s smallest Union Territory sparked a frenzy on social media among travellers in India and abroad, even resulting in a diplomatic row with Maldives where three ministers — who are now suspended — made derogatory posts against PM Modi and India.
A barrage of support poured in from prominent Indians, including Bollywood A-listers like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and John Abraham to sportspersons like Sachin Tendulkar, PV Sindhu, and Suresh Raina who made a beeline to promote tourism in Lakshadweep, urging Indians to explore Indian islands.
The Lakshadweep administration is expecting over Rs 20,000 crore in investments in the coming days to pitch it in the same league as Maldives. The Indian island has been consistently the most searched place on Google from India ever since.
But very few seem to know that after Independence, Pakistan was about to snatch it from India. Lakshadweep would very well be a Pakistan-occupied territory had it not been for the swift action by India’s ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
After India attained Independence in 1947, the sub-continent was partitioned, with West Pakistan and East Pakistan on the two sides — both Muslim majority. Meanwhile, another Muslim-majority area — unimportant for Pakistan in its grand scheme of things — was left unperturbed 496 km off the cost of Kochi. Focus on Lakshadweep, which had 93% Muslim population, came later for Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Muslim League leader who created Pakistan.
In his October 2019 Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi described how India’s ‘Iron Man’ not only unified scattered important princely states like Hyderabad and Junagarh but also saved Lakshadweep from Pakistan.
“Soon after Partition in 1947, our neighbour had cast an eye on Lakshadweep; a ship bearing their flag was sent there. When Sardar Patel was informed of this, he wasted no time in initiating stern action. He urged the Mudaliar brothers, Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar and Arcot Laxman Swamy Mudaliar to immediately undertake a mission with (the) people of Travancore to Lakshadweep and take the lead in unfurling the Tricolour there,” the PM had said.
Ramaswamy Mudaliar was the 24th and last Dewan of Mysore while his brother Laxman Swamy Mudaliar was a renowned physician who also happened to be the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University for almost 20 years. Both of them were born into a Tamil-speaking family in Kurnool.
Following Sardar Patel’s orders, the Tricolour was promptly unfurled in Lakshadweep and what PM Modi referred to as “nefarious dreams of the neighbour” were crushed.
“After this incident, Sardar Patel asked the Mudaliar brothers to personally ensure all assistance for (the) development of Lakshadweep. Today, Lakshadweep is contributing significantly in India’s progress. It is an attractive tourist destination too. I hope you get the opportunity to visit the picturesque islands and its pristine beaches,” the Prime Minister told the nation in the 2019 Diwali edition of Mann Ki Baat.
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