New Delhi: A democratic set-up and constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule remain the priority for people of Ladakh, said MP Mohmad Haneefa, as he rued the slow pace of talks with the Union home ministry.
In an interview as Ladakh marks six years as a Union Territory, the MP, who comes from the Kargil region of Ladakh, said the cultural diversity and fragile environment of the cold desert must be protected constitutionally.
Haneefa said that the formation of the Union Territory was welcomed by many at the time, but people soon realised it was not what they had wanted.
“When Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two parts and Ladakh was made a Union Territory, one section was welcoming it and the other section was against it,” he said.
That Ladakh should become a Union Territory was the voice of the people in Leh, but those in Kargil were against it.
“In 2019, when they abrogated Article 370, divided Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh was made a separate UT, at that time, there was a wave of happiness among the people who were demanding this. They welcomed it and celebrated it. But as people came to know about this setup, they also realised that this is not the UT people of Ladakh were demanding,” Haneefa said.
“The people who were demanding UT wanted one that had democracy. They wanted a UT with a legislature. At the same time with the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, all our safeguards were gone. Ladakh got neither safeguards nor any democratic set-up was provided, so people of Ladakh realised that our future is dark in this set-up,” he said.
People in Ladakh, whether Buddhists or Muslims, are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country, the lawmaker asserted.
“But Ladakh is culturally different. There are seven ethnic groups in Ladakh, and the culture changes across tribes and regions. The environment is fragile, and while the area is huge, it is the largest constituency in India, but the population is very small, around 3-4 lakh. If people from outside come and settle down in Ladakh, the demography would change,” he said.
Haneefa said the Union government must look at Ladakh from a different perspective.
The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the two groups representing social, religious interests, are in talks with the government on their four-point demand.
The bodies came into existence about a year after the formation of the Union Territory.
“We came together and understood what we needed to secure the future of Ladakh. Accordingly, we came up with a four-point agenda in front of the government,” he said.
Their four points: statehood for Ladakh, sixth schedule under the Constitution, job reservation, a separate public service commission, and two parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil.
The Ladakh MP added that while the dialogue is on, they have not received any date for the next meeting.
There is dissatisfaction among the people, which may grow if the Union does not fulfil their demands, he stressed.
“The entire population of Ladakh has been protesting for the past 4-5 years. But we assured the government that we do not want to interfere with the peaceful environment of Ladakh. Because we have made a lot of sacrifices for peace,” he said.
Haneefa said that for centuries, Ladakh has been a peaceful area, and the locals don’t want it to be disturbed. “But we are very worried about our future.”
He said that in the last meeting between the home ministry’s panel and the Ladakh representatives, the issue of domicile was settled. But since then, there has been little movement, with no next meeting in the offing.
“We were also promised that within a month, we will hold another meeting and discuss other issues, especially that of statehood and the sixth schedule, which is very important for the future of Ladakh … but the date has not come out yet,” he said.
All the same, the Independent MP said, the infrastructure in the region has improved over the last five years, and thanked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for border infrastructure.
Haneefa, however, said the locals’ demand for the Zojila tunnel for all-weather connectivity, air connectivity for Kargil, and healthcare facilities, is yet to be met.
“But the main issue of Ladakh, after UT was established, is that we want a democratic set-up, we want constitutional safeguarding of our land, our culture, identity, our environment,” he said.
“We don’t want to go into agitation … we want a solution through dialogue. But the talks are getting delayed, spreading doubts among the people,” he said.
Asked if more protests may be held, he said, the campaigners have ensured peace throughout their agitation.
“In all our protests, we have ensured that the peace in Ladakh is not affected. We walked in the padyatra, sat on hunger strike, but when the patience of the people comes to an end, it may not be the same. If this continues, KDA and LAB will come together with some programme,” he said.
