The Indian archipelago of Lakshadweep is in ferment.
The collection of 36 islands - of which only 10 are inhabited - lies about 200 miles off the south-western coast of India in the Arabian Sea and depends on the southern state of Kerala for all its supplies.
Famous for its sandy beaches, crystal-blue waters and stunning coral reefs, Lakshadweep is described as "paradise islands" or "emerald islands" in tourist brochures and is rarely ever in the news.
But in recent weeks, angry islanders have made headlines with their protests against what they say is "an attack on our identity, culture, religion and land".
At the centre of the row is the region's newly-appointed government administrator Praful Khoda Patel, a number of controversial proposals he plans to implement, a surge in Covid-19 cases - and a sedition case against a popular model, actress and filmmaker.
'Unprecedented protests'
On Monday residents held a "black day" - they flew black flags from rooftops and poles and wore black clothes and face masks. And last week, reports said "the entire population" had participated in a day-long fast.
Photographs show protesters in their homes, on rooftops and even underwater, holding placards, demanding "justice".
"The protests are unprecedented in the history of Lakshadweep," said Dr Mohammed Sadique, coordinator of Save Lakshadweep Forum (SLF), a group of six political parties that has been at the forefront of the protests.
The protesters have also won support from Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi who has accused "the ignorant bigots in power" of "destroying India's jewel in the ocean".
He's written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the orders, describing them as "a deliberate assault on the cultural and religious fabric of the local community".