Delhi, India: The Hindu reported on Thursday, citing a key activist, that Ladakh citizens are taking to the streets to demand special rights that have virtually vanished after demands for the restoration of Article 370, which granted the disputed state special status, were ignored.
Sonam Wangchuk, an education reformer and one of the most well-known voices in Ladakh, claims that the Centre’s policy is alienating the youth by sowing seeds of militancy as demand for protection of land, culture, and jobs under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution grows.
“The fear is not that people will turn against India; rather, the fear is that people will lose their love for India, which is dangerous for a nation facing the Chinese. Mr. Wangchuk stated in an interview with The Hindu that, in contrast to people in Mumbai and Delhi, “people here have helped the Army during the war by acting as porters and supplying food.”
He stated that First Information Reports (FIRs) were being filed “left, right, and center” due to widespread police harassment of civilians for using the phrase “Sixth Schedule” in public and unemployment.
I was placed under house arrest when I wanted to observe a fast at Khardung La. At the conclusion of an ice hockey competition that took place in a stadium in Leh four days ago, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh (L-G) was present for a ceremony that involved the awarding of prizes. Children started yelling “Sixth Schedule” when they saw him. They were taken to the station of the police. Is it now illegal to speak of the Sixth Schedule in public? He went on to say that although 12,000 jobs were promised, only 800 positions were filled through recruitment.
He asserted that a journalist had been arrested for posting a message supporting the Sixth Schedule.
Mr. Wangchuk, a climate activist and engineer, ended his five-day fast on February 1 to demand statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The rally that brought an end to his agitation was attended by approximately 2,000 people in Leh.
On August 5, 2019, Parliament revoked the special status granted to the former State of Jammu and Kashmir by Article 370 of the Constitution. As a result, the State was divided into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the latter of which did not have a legislature.
Several civil society organizations, including the influential Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), have taken to the streets more than three years later to demand constitutional protection.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) established a powerful committee on January 2 to “ensure protection of land and employment” for the Ladakhi people. The members of the committee have made the decision to avoid the committee until their demands are met. All of Ladakh’s political parties, including the Apex Body for Leh, the LBA, and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, have been calling for Ladakh to be a state.
Mr. Wangchuk agreed and stated that Article 370 was better for them because it prevented industries from exploiting their resources.
We used to have four MLAs in the State Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, but now we only have one. We are to be ruled by the L-G, an outsider. Everything is decided by one man. Ninety percent of the 6,000 crore that was given to Ladakh comes from a non-elected individual. He may make any choice under financial pressure. It will be time for him to leave when he comprehends the issues. Mr. Wangchuk, whose Hindi film Three Idiots served as the inspiration, stated, “We demand full Statehood so that our voices are heard.”
He stated that the sixth schedule was included in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the general elections in 2019 and even for the Hill Council elections in 2020. If Jammu and Kashmir could be guaranteed statehood, why not Ladakh?
