In 2019, a genetic study on the population of the Lakshadweep islands was published in the peer-reviewed Scientific Reports. The findings indicated that the inhabitants of this 36-island archipelago share close genetic ties with people in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India. Moreover, the researchers discovered a notable ‘founder effect’ in both paternal and maternal lineages of the islanders, which means that the population had limited genetic mixing. This suggested that they are their own people, and have for hundreds of years inhabited the islands and formed a bond with their land.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep—and the ensuing controversy triggered by derogatory remarks by some Maldivian officials—a widespread campaign urged Indians to ditch the Maldives and head to Lakshadweep.
The initial enthusiasm, however, faded as the people got a reality check; there are few places to stay on the archipelago and the ecosystem is not built for a massive influx of tourists.
The islanders were measured in their response to the massive attention and the big talk of development. In fact, many of them are now gearing up for legal battles to counter any efforts that would ride roughshod over their rights in the name of tourism and development.
An island of woes
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 28, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 28, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI