The protests were organized under the banner of the Leh-based apex body of People’s Movement for 6th Schedule and the Kargil-based Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The two bodies have brought Budhists and Muslims together to fight for their political rights. The massive protests, leaders in Ladakh said, is the beginning of their campaign to get the constitutional rights for the people of this border region. The protestors raised slogans against the Union Home Minister, who they said had promised to form a committee and call a meeting after which all their demands will be addressed. The Apex Body and KDA leadership lamented that this protest was organized against the ‘Government of India’s attitude towards Ladakh as they are not listening to KDA and the Apex Body.’
They raised slogans like, “Home Minister Hoosh Main Aav,”, ‘Hum Apna Huq Mangte, Nahi Kisi Se Bheekh Mangte.’
“We will soon announce a detailed program for the year 2023 and it will continue till 2024. This agitation will be sustained and uninterrupted. Our powers have been eroded since August 2019,” said Chering Dorjay, vice president Ladakh Buddhist Association and member of the Apex Body. He said that the people of Ladakh never asked for this kind of UT. “The decision of August 5 2019 has turned into a big negative step for us. The GoI thinks that people of Ladakh will forget, but that is an impossibility,” said Dorjay, a former member of the BJP.
The residents of Leh had welcomed the BJP’s decision of abrogation of Article 370 and carving out of Ladakh as a separate UT, however, within a year they started protesting against the decision as among several other concerns, hill councils in both Leh and Kargil lost their independence immensely. “Now a bureaucrat runs the system and an elected councilor is left to his mercy and people have no say anywhere,” said a protestor.
The two bodies, formed to ensure the protection of identity, land, jobs and culture of the UT, have joined hands in August 2021, to demand the granting of statehood for Ladakh, constitutional safeguards on the lines of sixth schedule, separate seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for Kargil and Leh seat and filling up of over 10,000 vacancies to fight unemployment in the UT. The BJP in Ladakh has distanced itself from the apex body’s demand of statehood but are supporting other demands.
“This protest campaign will continue till 2023-24, unless and until we get our rights. Ladakhis have come on roads to tell the world that we are serious and sincere in our struggle to get our rights,” said Asgar Ali Karbalai, co-chairman of KDA. The political crisis in Ladakh, coincides with the volatile situation along its eastern side of the Line of Actual Control in the region where the armies of India and China have engaged in a hostile face off since May 2020.
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