Minicoy Island and the Maldives!

Minicoy Island or Maliku is the only inhabited island of the Maliku Atoll. It is the second largest and the southern-most among the islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago, measuring about 10 km from its northern end to its southernmost point. Minicoy is a long island, almost completely covered with coconut trees.
The locals, the Malikun, call their island "Maliku," as do the Maldivians, while it is called "Minikkoy" in Malayalam. On the southern side of the main island lies the uninhabited islet of Viringili where formerly the lepers of Minicoy were banished.

This atoll is administered by India under the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The closest island to Minicoy is Thuraakunu in the Republic of Maldives. Since 1956, the Indian Government has forbidden contact between people of the two islands despite their geographic proximity and ethnographic similarities. Minicoy Islanders, like the close islands of the Maldives follow Sunni Islam. The islands were probably Buddhist before like they were in the Maldives.

Today Maliku is administered by India, but claimed by the Maldives. This claim was made in 1983, when the President of Maldives made a public speech claiming Maliku for the Maldives. Even today many Maldivians privately harbour such sentiments. At the same time India is overly cautious of any contact between people of Maliku and its Maldivian neighbours to the south.

An oral tradition of the Maldives (according to the late Magieduruge Ibrahim Didi, a Maldivian learned man) explains why Minicoy is not politically part of the Maldives anymore: Some time in the past (perhaps during the 17th century), Minicoy was devastated by a great cyclone which destroyed most houses and a great number of coconut trees. Following the catastrophe, a delegation of Minicoy islanders from the best families in the island sailed to the King in Male' asking for gold to help them through the hard times. However, the Maldive King told them that he had not enough money in his treasury and that he was not able to help them. Hence the delegation of Maliku nobles went onwards to the Malabar coast, where they found favor with the king of Cannanore (Kannur) who welcomed them and helped the Minicoy people to rebuild their island in exchange for their loyalty. Henceforth the Minicoy Islanders owed allegiance to this kingdom of the SW Indian shore.

Today, Maliku has a combined population of 9,500.
Under the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (Laws) Regulations, 1967 of the Government of India, Maldivian nationals can only visit Maliku if they are permitted by the High Commissioner of India. The High Commissioner of India in Malé shall intimate the names of the persons whose visits are permitted and the period of their stay to the Administrator of Lakshadweep sufficiently in advance. The Administrator may, on valid grounds, extend the period of stay of Maldivain nationals.

Airport Hotels, Safari Yachts should not have alcohol!

The increase in the smuggling and illegal sale of alcoholic beverages in Male has taken a sharp rise in the recent months. In most of the cases, it is expatriates (Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, etc) who are seen to be taking part in such activities, along with help from locals. I suggest the following actions if we want to see a decline in this:

1. Permits are currently given to foreign teachers, seaplane pilots, etc. to purchase liquor from places such as resorts and the Airport Hotel and consume such products in Male’. There is no way to prevent such foreigners from selling alcohol drinks to locals. I suggest that we stop issuing such permits. Any foreigner who wants to consume alcohol should do so in resorts but he should not be allowed to bring such beverages to any inhabited island.

2. Currently many foreign residents of Male visit the Airport Hotel to consume alcohol. This has apparently become an easy access point to bring alcohol to Male illegally. Similarly the Ocean Reef Hotel in Addu Atoll Gan is also apparently such a point where locals could get easy access to alcohol. I suggest that we revise the regulations so that no hotel in an inhabited island (or with a causeway-connection to an inhabited island) should be allowed to sell alcohol. If such a regulation is implemented it would prevent the Hulhule Airport Hotel and the Ocean Reef Hotel in Gan from selling alcohol.

3. Similarly we should not allow any of the upcoming Airport Hotels (that are to be opened in regional airports) to sell alcohol.

4. Safari Yachts who travel to various islands and atolls (with tourists) are allowed to buy and sell alcohol. Such vessels could easily sell alcohol to locals. I suggest that the safari yachts should not be able to buy and sell alcohol.