Massive protests in Leh demand Ladakh statehood, constitutional reforms

Ladakh’s Leh district braved freezing temperatures on Saturday as massive protest rallies surged, with locals organizing a total blockade to press for their demands, including Ladakh’s statehood.

Thousands of people took to the streets, calling for the territory to be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for tribal status, job reservations for locals and parliamentary seats in Leh and Kargil. Videos circulating on social media showed a giant crow holding a placard and chanting slogans.

four point agenda

After the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislative body and has remained a Union Territory since the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. A focus. The closure was organized by the Leh Apex Body (LAB). ) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Ministry on January 23 urging Ladakh to achieve statehood and obtain Sixth Schedule status.

“The Apex agency and KDA have been demanding the four-point agenda ever since Ladakh became a Union Territory. All our people-centric efforts have been diluted. When we were part of J&K, we were in Parliament There are 4 members in the Parliament and 2 members in the Legislative Assembly. Now we have no representation in the Parliament. We have always demanded that the people of Ladakh have representation in the Parliament and get statehood.” Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democracy Haji Ghulam Mustafa, the alliance’s legal adviser, told reporters. Arnie.

The representatives also submitted a draft bill proposing to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 to grant statehood to Ladakh, india today The report said, citing sources. A high-level committee headed by Home Minister Nityanand Rai has been engaging with representatives from Leh and Kargil to address their concerns. The memorandum was prompted by the recent Supreme Court judgment restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s status as a state, highlighting the difference that Ladakh remains a union territory.

Citing precedents from Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and other northeastern states, the memorandum argued that Ladakh should be protected by the Sixth Schedule and Article 371 of the Constitution. “The reason is, Ladakh is a strategically very important place. It is a tribal-majority region with all the characteristics that the northeastern states have… Along the lines of the northeastern states, we demand that in Ladakh Implement the provisions of the Sixth Schedule to protect their culture,” Mustafa told Arnie.

Other demands include setting up a Ladakh Public Service Commission to address the issue of limited opportunities for Ladakh students in gazetted positions. The memorandum also proposed a draft bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, proposed the creation of two MPs (one each from Leh and Kargil) and expressed hope of getting a seat in the Union House.