When the government of India removed article 370 and ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The state was divided into two union territories, that is UT of Jammu-Kashmir and UT of Ladakh.
It is not only a normal territory of India but strategically significant territory of India as it shares the boundaries with Pakistan and China. Siachen Glacier and Galwan valley are some of the geo-strategically important parts of India which are located in Ladakh.
In 2020, we saw how Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in the Galwan valley region of Ladakh.
Ladakh is India’s northernmost high altitude desertic region and it receives roughly 80 millimeter average annual precipitation(rainfall). The climate of Ladakh is cold and dry.
It has a population of 3 lakh which consists of buddhist, shia muslims and others. Ladakh is famous for its unique geographical features, landscapes, natural beauty and rich culture and heritage.
But Ladakh is facing the challenges and in the news for some other reasons.
The Education reformist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who is fighting for the rights of Ladakh, demanding the protection of the fragile ecology and indigenous culture of Ladakh from the industrial encroachment and heavy mining.
There are majorly four demands of Ladakh, Let’s understand these demands in detail.
1. Demand for Statehood
In 2019, when the Government of India removed Article 370 and divided the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
The people of Ladakh welcomed and celebrated the decision of the government. Because Ladakh was demanding it for a very long time. Ladakh thought that special attention would be given to issues of Ladakh. But in reality it didn’t happen and soon Ladakh realized that nothing had changed for Ladakh.
After 2019, Ladakh lost all its powers. In the present time it is governed by Delhi and people of Ladakh are not satisfied with the new administration as it is unable to govern Ladakh because outsiders or bureaucrats are not able to understand the concerns of ladakh.
Hence these people of Ladakh formed the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) so that they could address their demands which had remained unfulfilled.
People of Ladakh believe that they would get a legislature like Jammu-Kashmir. It means Ladakh can solve regional problems through local participation.
Currently, the Leh region of Ladakh is majorly dominated by the Buddhist population while the Kargil region is dominated by the Shia Muslim community. These people came together to fulfill these demands of Ladakh.
2. Inclusion in 6th Schedule of the Constitution
Ladakh has been constantly demanding for the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The sixth schedule of the constitution contains the provisions related to the administration of the tribal areas in Assam Tripura Mizoram and Meghalaya.
It covers article 244 and article 275 of the constitution.
The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Indian Constitution provides for the formation of autonomous administrative regions called Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
ADCs are granted autonomy on legislative, judicial, and administrative matters within a state. They can have up to 30 members with a term of five years, and can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land, forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing, etc.
Currently, it applies to the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council).
Hence, inclusion of Ladakh in the 6th schedule will provide protection to the rich and cultural heritage of Ladakh. Their agricultural lands, forests, traditional practices and cultural identity will be preserved.
Tribal communities of Ladakh will be empowered after the inclusion in the 6th schedule. Ladakh is facing a lack of public participation and non-inclusion of locals in governance from 2019. And the 6th schedule would ensure the public participation of Ladakh.
If we observe the demography of Ladakh, we will find that nearly 97% of Ladakh’s population is tribal. Therefore Ladakh is eligible to be included in the sixth schedule. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes also recommended the inclusion of Ladakh in that schedule.
3. Separate Parliamentary Seats for Ladakh
Ladakh wants two parliamentary seats : one for Leh and another for Kargil. When the government of India created the Union territory of Jammu-Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh. Jammu-Kashmir was created with the State legislature which allowed Jammu to discuss their regional issues and concerns with local participation. But Ladakh remained without a legislature body and that resulted in no discussion of local issues and public participation.
Before 2019, Ladakh was part of Jammu and Kashmir and there were four Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) seats which used to represent Ladakh. Additionally Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), an elected body, was also powerful.
But after 2019, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), an elected body, lost its powers and autonomy which used to govern Ladakh.
In the present time Ladakh has only one seat in Lok Sabha which is not adequate enough to address the concerns of Ladakh.
Ladakh has no assembly to govern the region therefore it is directly governed and administered by the delhi. That is failing to understand the concerns of Ladakh and its people.
Therefore representation in Lok Sabha from Leh and Kargil would ensure the integration of Ladakh and strengthen the democratic participation of Ladakh.
4. Separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh
Youth of Ladakh are also concerned about not getting government jobs in the region especially after 2019 changes. There has been no recruitment process from 2019 to the present time.
If the State Public Service Commission is created, the youth of Ladakh will get jobs in the region which will result in the localisation of the jobs. That will also help to address local regional issues comprehensively.
Other Environmental Demands
Apart from the above demand Ladakh is also concerned about its environmental damages. Because it is one of the resource rich regions of the country.
And the various infrastructural and development projects are disrupting and affecting the ecosystem of the region. For instance: freak accident of the Government’s geothermal power project in Puga valley region negatively affected the region.
Ladakh is concerned about the electricity generation projects and mining projects in the region.
Before 2019, Ladakh was a protected region and outsiders were not allowed to take lands and settle in the region. Industrial activities and developmental projects were prohibited in the region.
Presently, these restrictions have been removed by the government and resources of Ladakh are open to explore which might be leading to over exploitation of these resources.
Ladakh is a climate sensitive and vulnerable zone and the changes in the region have already started creating stress on the ecosystem of Ladakh. Hence there is a need to maintain a sustainable development balance in Ladakh.
Since 2020, there have been numerous talks and meetings between the Leaders of Ladakh and the Ministry of Home Affairs but failed to establish consensus and common grounds.
The Ministry of Home affairs agreed on the demand of separate public service commission and two parliamentary seats for Ladakh but nowhere talked about statehood and inclusion of Sixth schedule.
What was Response of the Government?
The union government is not ready to fulfill the remaining demands mainly because of following three reasons:
- Inclusion of Ladakh in Sixth schedule will require amendments in the constitution. Furthermore it will create administration challenges and complexities for the Governance.
- Since the Galvan Valley incident, the government has focused more on the security of the region by building military infrastructure, increased road connectivity, and built tunnels to ease mobility in Ladakh. If Ladakh will be given the Sixth schedule, that autonomy might impact these projects.
- Government believes that industrial developments will not be possible in the region, if Ladakh is included in the sixth schedule.
However there is a need to have a comprehensive viable solution. That can help in achieving sustainable development as well as safeguarding national security in the region. It is possible only through constructive communication and effective solutions.