The story so far: Thousands of people returned to the streets in Leh over the weekend in sub-zero temperatures to reiterate their demand for full statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the region’s land, culture, language and environment.
The shutdown unfolded in the two districts of Leh and Kargil in response to a ‘Leh Chalo’ protest (march to Leh) called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — the two influential socio-political groups which have been at the forefront of the agitation for the past three years. While the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced the date for the second round of a high-powered committee set up to look into the demands for Ladakh, the movement is expected to gain momentum in the coming days, with engineer-activist Sonam Wangchuk proposing a fast unto death.
Why has Ladakh turned to protests?
Ladakh has experienced multiple shutdowns, marked by frequent street protests and demonstrations over the past four years after the region was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir as a separate UT, leading to concerns among locals about loss of identity, resources and bureaucratic overreach.
The growing resentment can be traced to August 2019 when the abrogation of Article 370 repealed the special status of the erstwhile State of J&K. Ladakh, which was then one of three divisions of J&K, was established as a UT without a legislature, unlike J&K. Ladakh had been represented by four members in the J&K Assembly and two in the Legislative Council before the abrogation. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, formed to administer the region, also have limited powers.
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The reorganisation took Ladakhis by surprise. Initially, there was optimism as religious minorities in the region had for long supported the demand for UT status, alleging discrimination at the hands of Kashmir-centric parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that a new era had begun in Ladakh. The jubilation, especially in Leh, however, soon gave way to caution, uneasiness and anger. Ladakhis worried that opening up the region to non-locals and industrialists would impact the region’s demography, eventually leading to the alienation and loss of distinct identity.
Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, former president of the local BJP unit, told The Hindu, “We are not saying that we will shut Ladakh for investments but we should get a say in it, which area will be developed and for which purpose? When they talk about mega solar power projects, thousands of acres of land are required, and it’s not like the land is lying unused — it sustains wildlife, medicinal herbs grow there and nomads keep migrating. [But] people from outside think that the land is of no use.”
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, BJP MP from Ladakh, who had welcomed the UT status saying it would usher in development and strengthen border security, later raised the issue in Parliament. He urged the Centre to fulfil the aspirations of the people, demanding constitutional safeguards through the amendment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act.
A jobs crisis and lack of political representation added to the unrest. It sparked concerns of economic disempowerment as people felt that New Delhi lacked a complete understanding of the region’s needs and vulnerabilities.
These apprehensions led to a string of protests in the Muslim-majority Kargil which wanted to remain a part of the erstwhile State and not join the Buddhist-majority Leh. Civil society and religious outfits in Leh also felt vulnerable with the reorganisation taking away the protection enshrined under Article 35A. Hundreds joined Sonam Wangchuk in his five-day hunger strike in January and a week-long ‘climatic fast’ in June last year to draw attention to the fragile ecology of Ladakh. In an interview with The Hindu at the time, Mr. Wangchuk said Ladakh was better off with Article 370 which prevented industries from exploiting their resources.
Who is behind the agitation and what do they want?
The growing anger over unfulfilled promises prompted two ideologically distinct factions to join forces. After hectic parleys, the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance — an alliance of civil society, religious, political and student organisations — reached a consensus and finalised a four-point agenda in 2021. The umbrella organisations have since spearheaded the campaign, organising protests not only in Ladakh but also in J&K and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, calling for shutdowns on multiple occasions. Their main demands include having a full-fledged legislature, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts, and job reservations for locals.
Students stage a protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi. (ANI Photo)
Activists and leaders of the socio-political bodies are demanding an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats from one to two (one each for Kargil and Leh) to ensure representation of Ladakhis in Parliament and a full-fledged elected legislature. “We have no representation in the Assembly. Ladakh is strategically a very important place. This has always been our demand that the people of Ladakh should have representation and that we should get statehood,” Haji Ghulam Mustafa, legal adviser of the group, said on the sidelines of the weekend protest.
Mr. Wangchuk also flagged the issue of concentration of power in the hands of an “outsider.”
“Earlier we had four MLAs in the State Assembly [of Jammu and Kashmir], now we have zero representation. The L-G, who is an outsider, is sent to govern us. One man decides everything. 90% of the ₹6,000 crore allocated to Ladakh is at the dispensation of a non-elected person. He may make any decision under pressure or financial gain. By the time he understands the issues, it will be time for him to leave. We demand full Statehood so that our voices are heard,” Mr. Wangchuk said in an interview with The Hindu in February last year.
The LAB and KDA have demanded the government extend Ladakh’s territorial control up to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and demanded reservation of seats for the area. In a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the alliance reiterated that Statehood will ensure stability in the region and highlighted the geopolitical importance of Ladakh to counter the twin threat of China and Pakistan. It pointed out that empowering the locals will foster stability, noting that their understanding of the harsh terrain and the geography has proved helpful in the military and logistic operations.
The other demand, for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, has served as a major rallying point, with the LAB and KDA urging the government to grant special status to Ladakh on the lines of Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and other northeastern States. The Schedule protects tribal populations and provides autonomy to the communities through autonomous development councils. The councils are empowered to legislate on issues of land, agriculture, forests, village administration, inheritance of property, public health, marriage and divorce, etc. This assumes significance considering nearly 80% of Ladakh’s total population of 2.74 lakh are tribals. Mr. Wangchuk says the Schedule will ensure that the local population is consulted on decisions that impact them.
Adding to the unrest is rising employment in the region. The UT recorded a sharp rise in the number of unemployed graduates between 2021-22 and 2022-23. A government survey last year pointed out that 26.5% of graduates in Ladakh are unemployed.
The separation from Jammu and Kashmir shrunk the region’s share in the State pool, and the Centre has also failed to create new avenues for the locals in the past four years. As a result, the disillusioned youth has taken to the streets, demanding reservation and a separate public service commission for recruitment of gazetted jobs. “Ever since Ladakh became a UT, there have been no gazetted job openings in the region while two batches have already been commissioned in J&K and the third batch is going to get commissioned soon... Ladakh immediately needs to have a Public Service Commission of its own... people of Ladakh demand that the region be empowered,” Mr. Mustafa said.
How has the Centre responded?
The government has not shown keen interest in granting full Statehood and special status to Ladakh, but rising discontent in the region and a wave of protests forced the Centre to set up a committee in January 2023 to probe the matter.
The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that the UT administration was already taking care of overall socio-economic development, and sufficient funds have been provided for the region’s overall development. However, amid rising unrest in the region, the government set up the panel and assured protesters that it would look for an appropriate solution to issues related to language, culture and land.
The panel was reconstituted following a disagreement over its composition and agenda. The high-powered committee held its first meeting in December, after it was empowered to examine the demand for constitutional safeguards for the region. While representatives of the LHA and KDA sought an early resolution of their issues, the Ministry urged the leaders not to hold protests while the official talks were on.
However, as nothing significant has come out of the dialogue so far, anxious Ladakhis took the streets again earlier this month. “People have become very restless after nothing materialised despite a series of talks. They came out on the streets to tell the government that it’s not the voice of one person but the whole of Ladakh,” Mr. Wangchuk said about the recent protests.
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, is scheduled to meet representatives from the region on February 19 in New Delhi. All eyes will be on the meeting which will determine the tone of protests in the coming days as the country goes to the polls.
- Demand for full statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the region’s land, culture, language and environment
- Ladakh has experienced multiple shutdowns, street protests and demonstrations over the past four years after the region was carved out of J&K as a separate UT
- The government set up the panel and assured protesters that it would look for an appropriate solution to issues related to language, culture and land
