Modi government must allay fears of locals in Ladakh

Ladakh, which has over 97 per cent of tribals, is demanding it be brought under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its land, culture, and identity from being commercially exploited

The fear of losing jobs and land to outsiders has prompted the people of the Union Territory of Ladakh to hit the streets and seek protection under the Constitution of India. 

As a show of strength, on February 3, hundreds of people took out a protest rally in Leh while a complete shutdown was observed in Kargil, the two districts of the Union Territory that was established on October 31, 2019, after being separated from Jammu and Kashmir. 

The movement has gathered pace given the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government repealed the special status accorded to J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019, Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, by which the state was downgraded and divided it into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. 

The people of Ladakh had then hoped that the abrogation of Article 370 would end the discrimination against the region, and usher in an era of development. The enthusiasm soon waned, and the locals now fear that the outsiders are eyeing their land and resources. Many feel that they were better off as being a part of erstwhile J&K given that they had protection in terms of land and jobs. The changed domicile policy in J&K also resulted in apprehensions of possible demographic changes in Ladakh.

This led to the demand for bringing Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard land, employment, and cultural identity of the region. Over 97 per cent of the population of Ladakh is tribal.

The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 safeguards provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state. Till now, the Sixth Schedule applies to the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura. 

The locals have now gone beyond seeking constitutional guarantees under the Sixth Schedule, and are also demanding full statehood for Ladakh, job reservation, land protection, a separate Public Service Commission (PSC) and two Lok Sabha constituencies — Leh and Kargil.

Political reactions

As the politics of the region is currently dominated by these issues, no political party will dare to go against the wind. All of them have joined hands in both the Buddhist-dominated Leh district and the Muslim (Shia)-majority district of Kargil.

The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB), two amalgam organisations representing various political, social, religious, and student outfits in Kargil and Leh, have struck an alliance. Both had given a joint call for the February 3rd protests in support of their demands.

The protests and the protesters demands will put the BJP on a backfoot. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party had promised to implement the Sixth Schedule, helping its leader Jamyang Tsering Namgyal to win the Ladakh seat. However, the Union government now insists that the Sixth Schedule is for the northeastern states, and for India’s other tribal areas, there is the Fifth Schedule. 

The locals have threatened that if their demands are not met before the elections, they will give a befitting reply to the BJP and its sitting Lok Sabha member.

In January 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a high-powered committee headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai to ensure the protection of land and employment for the people of Ladakh. 

The panel was also supposed to discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and language taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance. Deliberating on steps for inclusive development and employment generation in the region and issues related to the empowerment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill District Councils of Leh and Kargil were also on its agenda.

Just one meeting has been held so far (December 4) since its formation, and nothing much has happened on the ground. The second meeting of this committee will now be held in Delhi on February 19.

Going by the intensity of agitation and the general mood, the Centre will have to move fast in allaying the fears of the people of Ladakh, and, thus, prevent any escalation of protests in the arid desert region bordering two hostile neighbouring countries: China and Pakistan.

(Aurangzeb Naqshbandi is a senior journalist who has been covering the Congress for 15 years, and is currently associated with Pixstory.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.