Minicoy
islanders whose mother tongue is Divehi (which the Lakshadweep
Administration calls Mahl) live in a representative
multi-party democracy where the rule of law prevails.
They have the right to redress their grievances before
impartial courts and have the benefit of a mature and
reliable legal system. They are assured that their persons
and property are not subject to arbitrary arrest, torture
or confiscation. Minicoy islanders are not subjected
to totalitarian regimes that have life expectancies
of a quarter of a century or more.
Minicoy islanders are free to choose their beliefs as
provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
No one is handcuffed to coconut palms and raped for
making their own free choices. |
The
basic communal unit is the household presided over by a senior
woman. Households are grouped into eleven avarh. Avarh
literally mean "suburban ward". The Lakshadweep
administration calls them athiri, which literally
(in the Divehi language) means shore or waterfront.
Each
avah is headed by a bodukaaka (literally uncle) which
the Lakshadweep Administration calls a moopan (not
a native word) who is usually a man. There is also a woman
leader called bodudhaitha (literally aunt). Some bigger
avarh have more than one bodukaaka or bodudhaitha
who have fixed portfolios assigned to them. Each avarh has
an elected assembly called baemedhu. The traditional
joint parliament of all the avarhs is called havaru,
which is rarely convened now.
There
are separate assemblies for the youth called athirikudhin
and lavilikudhin. These consist of children under the
age of sixteen.
The
eleven athiri are:
- Fallisseri
- Kudehi
- Funhilol
- Aloodi
- Sadivalu
- Rammedu
- Bodu
Athiri
- Aumagu
- Bada
- Kendiparty
- Au
Bodu Athiri
The
legal status of Au Bodu Athiri village is sub judicae.
The Lakshadweep Administration may not recognise Au
Bodu Athiri as a de jure village
The
Indian government's chief civil official in Minicoy is the
Amin (an Arabic word that litarally means trustee) or the
Tahsildar (a Mughal word that literally meant tax collector)
who reports to the Administrator of Lakshadweep in Kavaratti
island in the Laccadives.
Members
of the District Panchayat (Council)
| 1- |
Shri
Moosa Manikfan Kallikagothi |
Indian
National Congress Party |
| 2- |
Shrimathi
Aysha Kelugothi |
Indian
National Congress Party |
| 3- |
Shri
Abdul Razak Valubigothi |
Indian
National Congress Party |
Chairperson,
Village/ Island Panchayat (Council)
Shri
Ibrahim Manikfan Donkunnu Ganduvar
(telephone +91-4892-222617)
Members
of the Village/ Island Panchayat (Council)
| 1- |
Shri Ibrahim Manikfan Donkunnu Ganduvaru |
Samata |
| 2- |
Shrimati Amina Nakathorige
|
Independent |
| 3- |
Shri Hassan Dondalekagothi Athirige
|
Congress |
| 4- |
Shri Ali Beppurugothi
|
Samata |
| 5- |
Shrimati Fathima Tharikunnuge
|
Independent |
| 6- |
Shrimati Amina Alibebege
|
Congress |
| 7- |
Shri Hassan |
Congress |
| 8- |
Shri Mohamed Heyyagothi
|
Samata |
| 9- |
Shrimati Fathima Kafagothi
|
Samata |
| 10- |
|
|
Member of Parliament
for Minicoy (Lakshadweep-ST)
Dr. Pallichapura
Pookunhikoya
Dr
Pallichapura Pookunhikoya
(in younger days)
|
Dr
Pallichapura Pookunhikoya was elected to the Lok Sabha
on 13 May 2004 for Janata Dal (United) Party. Dr. Pookunhikoya
defeated the incumbent member Shri P.M. Sayeed and won
15597 votes. He received 49.02% of the total votes cast
and holds his seat by a majority of 71 votes.
Dr Pookunhikoya is a native of Amini Island in the Amindivi
group. He graduated from Gundoor Medical College in
Andra Pradesh. Dr Pookunhikoya is married with a daughter
and two sons. His daughter is married and settled in
the Lakshadweep Islands.
Dr Pookunhikoya precipitated one of the biggest upsets
in the history of the Lok Sabha by vanquishing its former
deputy speaker Shri P.M. Sayeed who had been the member
for Lakshadweep since 1967. As a consolation to the
fallen veteran, Shri Sayeed is now Minister of Power
in the Congress Party-led federal Government in India
and is the ninth-ranking member of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's cabinet.
|
National
Anthem
Minicoy
being an integral and inseparable part of India, the national
anthem of Minicoy is the national anthem of India. This was
composed by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali
and later rendered into Sanskrit and first sung in 1911 as
follows:
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka,
jaya he,
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha,
Dravida-Utkala-Banga,
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!
| audio |
Tagore's
rendition of the anthem into English is as follows:
Thou
art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Of Vindyas and Himalayas,
Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges
A nd is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
T thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.
|
Communal Organisation
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