Srinagar: In the autumn of the current year, there is brewing trouble both in Kargil and Ladakh as they are now unitedly asking the government of India not only for statehood, but also the constitutional guarantees on the pattern of Article 370 to safeguard their distinct identity, jobs and land. The government of India is mulling to constitute a committee to hold talks very soon both with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
People of Ladakh have genuine reasons to agitate as there has been forward movement from the central government since they came out from the “Kashmir hegemony” and were declared a separate Union Territory with no legislature. “Since the abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019, till date no law has been passed or extended to Ladakh and we have been left at the mercy of those bureaucrats who have no knowledge about our culture or history,” said Lobzang Spaldan who is the coordinator of the united protests being held by the people of Ladakh against the central government for keeping them in limbo.
On 18 October, there was an unusual protest in Leh by unemployed youth and political leaders of all hues and colours, including students, and they pressed for the recruitment of local Ladakhi youth into government services. They coined a new phrase for the agitation when they said that “New Delhi should not convert Ladakh into another Kashmir by continuous neglect”. Thupstan Chhewang, former BJP, MP and the main face of Opposition to the Centre not giving them special status, was present in the protest at Leh and he warned that they will hold more protests in entire Ladakh in the coming days if the government does not respond to the demands of the youth.
He also said that nothing has changed for the people of Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370, adding that they have been handed over to alien bureaucrats who have no concept about the problems being faced by common people in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The protest at Leh was organized by All Ladakh Unemployed Youth Association (ALUYA) and it was supported by many parties and associations, including Anjuman Imamiya president Ashraf Ali Barcha, Anjuman Moin-Ul-Islam president Dr Abdul Qayum, and LEAF coordinator Lobzang Spaldan.
“The government should start the recruitment process in Ladakh without delay and if they do not respond, we will hold protests in every village of Ladakh,” said ALUYA president Tuntdup Thinles. Given the support to such protests by the common people both in Kargil and Ladakh, many media outlets from New Delhi have suggested that very soon, a committee will be formed that is likely to be headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. It will have some bureaucrats from the Union Territory of Ladakh as members and this committee will hold talks both with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
It is in place to mention that earlier too, the leadership of Ladakh had threatened agitation and finally, talks were held between the Union government and representatives of both LAB and KDA with then Union Minister of State for Home G.K. Reddy. He had assured both the organizations that the government of India will look into their demands, including statehood and the constitutional safeguards on the pattern of Article 370 to preserve the culture and identity of Ladakhi people.
However, the Union Home Ministry had not taken the talks forward and it had irked the leadership in Ladakh that they were being ignored by the central government for so long. The demands which have come in the media when they met the central government by LAB and KDA include statehood, Constitutional safeguards under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, two Parliamentary seats for Union Territory of Ladakh, protection of jobs, land, culture, language, identity, environment and minerals etc of Ladakh for the locals.