Srinagar- Despite freezing temperatures, thousands of men and women marched through Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh region earlier this month, following the call for a complete shutdown by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). These two groups, formed in the Muslim-majority Kargil and Buddhist-majority Leh districts, have come together to demand special rights for the people of Ladakh after the region was separated from Jammu and Kashmir with the abrogation of Article 370.
The civil society of Ladakh recently presented a set of demands to the government of India, including the request for Sixth Schedule status, the establishment of a separate Public Service Commission, the granting of statehood to Ladakh, and an amendment to the Reorganization Act of 2019. As a result, the group has been invited for a second round of talks with the High Powered Committee in New Delhi on February 19.
The leaders were asked to draft their demands following their first round of meeting with the Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on 4 December 2023.
According to the memorandum submitted to the government, the representatives have justified granting of land and job rights for the people of the region and have urged the government to address their demands keeping in view of the sensitivity of the region.
The people of Ladakh, as per the memorandum, feel disappointment that in the process of becoming a separate entity from the state of J&K, they have lost the right to be represented at the state level, rather than gaining the autonomy they had hoped for.
“As per the promises of the central government as well as the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, Jammu and Kashmir is going to be restored into a full-fledged state sooner or later. However, in the case of Ladakh, none of these provisions have been extended and it has been kept as a Union Territory without a Legislature. This has led to a sense of disappointment among the people of Ladakh,” the memorandum says.
The civil society groups in Ladakh have further informed the government of India that granting statehood status to Ladakh will enhance the political representation and empower the locals.
“This shall also help the locals manifest their aspirations within the democratic framework and also foster a sense of belonging and participation in the nation-building process,” it reads.
They further have asserted that while being in UT there are limitations in the administration and governance and the current Autonomous Hill Development Councils (one in Leh and one in Kargil) do not have law-making powers.
“Granting legislative powers in the form of a legislature to the locals will enable effective governance and development and foster the federal structure of India which has been held sacrosanct by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the recent ruling over Article 370,” the group further added.
They said that the place also holds a significant position for its strategic location vis-a-vis China and Pakistan. “Empowering the locals will foster stability in the region, further enhancing the foreign policy,” it said adding “The people of Ladakh have always shown a sense of unity and cooperation among themselves as well as respect for the nation, which has always played a significant role in the security and stability of the region of Ladakh,”
The civil society group, while keeping the religious difference aside, reminded the GOI that the understanding of the locals of the harsh terrain and the geography of Ladakh has always proved helpful in the military and logistic operations and empowering the locals further could prove more vital for internal security and peace in the region.
On granting the sixth schedule status for the region, the group said that the region is a land predominated by the tribal community. These tribes form the majority of the population and follow varied unique traditions.
“Bringing Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule will not only guarantee special protections for land rights of the Scheduled Tribes of Ladakh but also land being central to our community identity, history and culture, it will help us make our laws as per the unique requirements of the region,” it said.
The leaders, however, were quick to add that while providing Sixth Schedule protection to the Ladakhi tribal population would be significant, it alone would not suffice. They emphasized the limited authority of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in tribal matters, underscoring the necessity for a local legislature.
“A local legislature, such as the one formed by the UT of J&K would not only legislate on matters directly related to tribal affairs but would also be accountable as it would be using a bottom-up approach and be context-sensitive in matters related to Ladakh,” they said.
On the public service commission for the region, the memorandum asserted that the Reorganization Act of J&K under Section 93 provides for a public service commission for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. However, as this provision has not been extended to Ladakh, opportunities for students from Ladakh to access gazetted posts have become limited.
“…for the last five years, there have not been any gazette-level recruitments. On the other hand, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, two more batches have come up and one exam is in process,” they said, adding, “ There is therefore a need for the formation of the Ladakh Public Service Commission for the gazetted jobs and for the non-gazetted jobs, the respective Hill Councils shall have the powers to recruit.”
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