Two Years After Special Status Repeal, Leh and Kargil Leaders Close Ranks to Demand Statehood for Ladakh

Predominantly Buddhist region of Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil turned a page when, for the first time, they boycotted work to demand full statehood for Ladakh and guarantees to protect land and jobs for its residents.

Shops and business concerns were shut and transport went off the roads as residents in the two regions pressed on the Centre to grant full statehood to Ladakh, besides constitutional safeguards on the lines of Sixth Schedule, two Lok Sabha seats to strengthen people’s representation in democratic process and early advertisement for recruitment process in Ladakh region.

The bandh call was given jointly by the Kargil Democratic Alliance and Leh Apex Body, conglomerates based in the twin districts, that are waging a relentless fight for statehood to Ladakh, two years after the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Before August 5, 2019 decision, the 2.5 lakh residents of Ladakh were represented by two Hill Development Councils headquartered at Kargil and Ladakh, vested with powers to carry out developmental works even though the political rights and laws would come through the J&K Assembly and Parliament. Before the move, the Ladakh region had a sole Parliament representative and four Assembly seats in J&K legislature.

But when J&K’s special status was revoked, Ladakh was made a UT without any legislature.

While both Leh and Kargil are now on the same page, two years ago, when the Centre announced the repeal of Article 370 in Parliament, the two regions had reacted differently; massive celebrations had broken out in the Leh while Kargil was dismissive of the move.

But over the last few months, the KDA and LAB, with representation from social, religious and political parties based in the two regions, minus the BJP, have closed ranks to demand full statehood for the northern tip of the country.

“The bandh is total. There is no vehicle plying on the roads and people have spoken out with this bandh,” Cheering Dorjay, LAB representative, told News18. “Even our remote areas are shut,” added Dorjay, who was once minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Sajjad Kargili, a senior leader from Kargil, too, echoed the sentiment. He said both Kargil and Leh have given out similar response and now it is up to the Centre how they respond to the peaceful protest. “The bandh is total,” he said, tweeting a video of drive-through of the Kargil market.

Early this year, senior leaders from Leh and Kargil had reached consensus on several key demands, including granting statehood and that the Union Territory was no longer an option acceptable to them. This was a major departure for Leh politicians who had celebrated the UT status initially but over a period of time, they realised the arrangement gave all control to the Centre-appointed bureaucrats who would call the shots on important policy matters like land distribution and recruitment.

Kargil organisations have even decided to be a party to petitions in the apex court that would hear on Article 370.

To press for the statehood, politicians of the two districts had earlier forged an alliance by getting the Leh and Kargil-based political and socio-religious organisations together, which would otherwise be a far cry considering the two regions had different aspirations for decades.

Only last year, many disparate bodies in Leh district had put up a joint front to form the People’s Movement for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. It demanded protection to Ladakh’s land, jobs and identity.

Read all the Latest India News here