Ladakh L-G R.K. Mathur removed amid intensified stirs by civil society groups

Brig. (Retd.) B.D. Mishra, the current governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh

R.K. Mathur. File | Photo Credit: PTI

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has removed Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur, a senior government official told The Hindu on Sunday.

A communication from the President of India’s office said that Brig. (Retd.) B.D. Mishra, the current governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has been appointed as L-G Ladakh. It added that the resignation of Mr. Mathur has been accepted.

The move comes amid agitation by civil society groups in Ladakh- the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that have been demanding several constitutional safeguards for the newly created Union Territory such as inclusion under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution that provides protection to tribal dominated areas.

The two powerful bodies have announced a protest in Delhi on February 15.

Mr. Mathur, a 1977-batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was appointed as Ladakh’s first L-G in 2019 after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) under Article 370 of the Constitution was blunted and the former State was divided into two Union Territories- J&K and Ladakh, the latter without a legislative assembly.

Locals had flagged several issues about the concentration of power in the hands of the LG and him being an outsider.

In an interview to The Hindu on February 2, Sonam Wangchuk, an education reformer and one of the most popular voices from Ladakh who inspired the movie 3 Idiots said, “The L-G, who is an outsider is sent to govern us. One man decides everything. 90% of the ₹6,000 allocated to Ladakh is at the dispensation of a non-elected person. He may take any decision under pressure or financial gain. By the time he will understand the issues, it will be time for him to leave. We demand full Statehood so that our voices are heard.”