What happened
On June 10, 2026, the Lakshadweep administration issued a 60-day prohibitory order across all 10 inhabited islands, banning protests, dharnas, and demonstrations within 150 metres of every jetty, helipad, power station, fuel depot, desalination plant, hospital, and government office in the archipelago. The proximate cause: a protest on Agatti Island on June 4, where around 100 residents opposed the administration's plan to acquire 1,21,000 hectares of land for corporate tourism projects — a plan that bypassed mandatory gram sabha consent. The Lakshadweep MP was charged with non-bailable offences for attending. The prohibitory order arrived just five days after the Lakshadweep Excise Regulation 2026 came into effect, lifting the 47-year liquor ban that residents had protested against. On islands where every critical facility is a prohibited zone and no island is particularly large, the islanders technically still have access to a designated protest site — provided they submit a written request to police 24 hours in advance.