Asem Mohiuddin
On Monday the cold desert Ladakh region observed a complete shutdown. All the business establishments, shops remained closed and the traffic was also off the roads. Post abrogation Article 370 and 35 A followed by the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019, it was for the first time Ladakh registered their protest. The political temperatures at one of the coldest places on earth are boiling up.
“It is just the beginning. We are planning for a long and sustainable agitation to press for our demands,” said Asgar Ali Karbali- a Congress leader who is also heading the Kargil Democratic Alliance. “We are actually waiting for the winters to pass out and once the weather improves and summer arrives we will intensify our demands,” he said on Saturday while deliberating with the media about their future course of action.
A strategically sensitive place, Ladakh before the August 5, 2019 has been demanding for autonomy and separation from erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State. It comprises two districts Leh and Kargil with latter having Shia Muslim majority, the first one is dominated by Buddhist population. On Monday, the entire region bore the deserted look with no movement on roads after the KDA and Apex body- Leh jointly called for the shutdown.
They have put forth four demands to the Government of India and said as long the demands are not met they will fight for it and rather intensify the movement.
“In the first place, the Government of India shall grant us statehood and safeguard our rights under the six schedules at least. The other two demands are a special recruitment drive for the youth of twin districts besides have elected body to represent the aspirations of people,” said Sajjad Kargili, a local politician who unsuccessfully contested 2018 Parliamentary elections.
Since last two and a half years, there is unease in the region and people of the hills feel politically disempowered after 2019 decision. The Kargil initially tried to part its ways from the Buddhist dominated Leh and people demanded to stay with Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the district later agreed to give up its demand after the delegations from the region had met at Union Home ministry level. Now both Kargil and Leh is jointly fighting for the full-fledged statehood and elected body of representatives besides the constitutional safeguards.
“We want Ladakhis to decide about their future. We want our own people in the helm of affairs not somebody from outside. Our identity, economy is under threat now and we will fight to protect it,” said Karabalia.
“You can see how the people of the region have responded to our call for shutdown. We didn’t enforce shutdown but took our all stakeholders on board before calling for it,” said Sheikh Bashir, the member of KDA. Sheikh is associated with an influential Imam Khumani Memorial trust- a school of thought that has major role in sociopolitical and religious affairs of Kargil district.
The locals said that they have been assured many times in the last couple of years that demands will met. Even the Union Home Minster, according to them has assured personally that the statehood will be granted with elected body to represent the newly carved out Union Territory. “But nothing that sort happened and we have been waiting till now,” the KDA said.
Ladakh is a strategic location for India and a high end tourist destination that attracts huge footfall of tourists from across the world. In the recent times, it has been in news after China breached the LAC and stayed afoot on Indian side. At many places, the area has been vacated by PLA but the tensions still remain on ground with no headway in talks between the two armies. On May 2020, India and China fought deadly clashes in Galwan valley of Ladakh region in which two Indian soldiers lost their lives and an unspecified numbers on the other side.
At Kargil, India is sharing the Line of Control with Pakistan and fought a low scale full-fledged war in 1999 after Pakistan breached into the area at Tiger hill in Drass sector.
“Such a strike in Kargil and Leh for a joint cause hasn’t been seen in the Ladakh region earlier. It is all Ladakh together and the call is very successful, Jigmat Paljor, the student activist of Ladakh told the Outlook.
“We hope the peaceful strike will carry a message to the Union Government and it will call the delegation of the Apex Body, KDA, representative of Ladakh to New Delhi for the dialogue.”
The leaders from both the districts of Leh and Kargil are refuting the reports of poor coordination and said that the demands they have put forth are not for any particular community or region.
“All will be benefited once the demands are met by the GoI. It is not just a particular section or region demanding certain rights but a united Ladakh for its people,” said Karbalia who said they have all the support from the public.
