Ladakh observes near total bandh for statehood, safeguards for land, jobs

The union territory of Ladakh comprising two districts of Kargil and Leh observed a near total Bandh on Monday in support of their demand to have statehood for the region.

On August 5, 2019 Ladakh was carved out as a separate union territory without legislature out of Jammu and Kashmir, which was also reduced to a UT with legislature.

“Both the districts observed a near total shutdown to press the Centre to give statehood to the UT besides ensuring constitutional safeguards for land and jobs to the locals. All the commercial establishments remained shut,” said a local from Leh.

The call for the shutdown was given Leh-based apex body, which has various social, religious and political groups in Leh, and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).

The apex body had sought support from at least 12 organisations in Leh for the peaceful shutdown.

However, the bandh call reportedly evoked poor response in Drass, Zanskar and Nubra—the Buddhist belt in Kargil and Changthang.

“Buddhists in these areas carried out their daily chores. They are opposed to the idea of statehood because they feel that it would create another Muslim majority state. They also feel that Thupstan Chhewang, the former BJP MP, is trying to serve his political interests,” said another local from Nubra.

While KDA had filed a petition in the Supreme Court in August seeking restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A, it has forged an alliance with the apex body of Leh for restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees on the lines of Schedule 6 to northeastern states to protect demography, culture and environment which also includes rights to jobs and lands to the native aboriginees of Ladakh.

The demands also include Two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat for the Himalayan region. Prior to August 5, 2019, Ladakh had only one Lok Sabha seat.

After forging an alliance with the KDA, Thupstan Chewang, head of the Leh apex body, said, “entire population of Ladakh is united in their demand for statehood and constitutional safeguards under sixth schedule of the Constitution. We don’t want to lose our land and jobs to the outsiders.”

CPI (M) leader and spokesperson of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir must learn a lesson from the people of Kargil and Leh.

“While people of Kargil want restoration of Article 370 and 35-A, to which Leh is opposed, both of them have joined hands for statehood, lands and jobs. We in Kashmir and Jammu regions should also find a middle path and come together for our common interests,” he said in Jammu.

National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah has also lavished praise on the people of Kargil and Leh for coming together for their common cause.

He, however, ridiculed the BJP led government at the Centre for two different laws for the two UTs carved out of a one state.