Picturesque Ladakh has been on the edge ever since Carved out as a Union Territory (UT) in 2019 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. For the time being, the locals have only grown restless, following a long-pending demand of the region’s Buddhists, regarding the status of a separate union territory. An agitation demanding inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (special protection to tribal population) of the Constitution had gained momentum last week. sonam wangchuka Magsaysay winner, went on a fast, Soon after its creation as a Union Territory in August 2019, Ladakh came under a bureaucracy that the local population found hostile and unresponsive. The constant tussle between local people, the elected representatives of the two hill councils of Kargil and Leh, and the bureaucracy escalated over the months. Leh’s political and religious bodies formed the Leh Apex Body (LAB) in 2020, headed by former BJP leader and ex-MP Thupstan Chhewang (he is also the elected president of the influential Ladakh Buddhist Association). In Kargil district, political parties including the National Conference and Congress and Shia Muslim-affiliated madrassas joined hands to form the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in November 2020. Kargil, unlike Leh, is due for reunification with the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of its special status under Article 370.
Despite the difference in their political stances, LAB and KDA are now together on common goals. They have placed four major demands before the Centre, including restoration of full statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts, and job reservations for locals. They describe the demands as important to protect Ladakh’s identity, culture and fragile environment. The Center appears to be in a bind as two committees appointed to reassure the local population have made little progress in the past two years. In fact, the second committee set up this year under Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has only fueled local anger, as it has no mandate to address the issues being raised. Ladakh is the witness A major military incursion from China in 2020Just 10 months after scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the erstwhile state. That conflict remains unresolved. In the absence of concrete measures to pacify the local people by meeting their genuine demands, the area will only remain mired for the benefit of those who are intent on creating trouble.