Leaders from Kargil on Monday expressed dismay over being sidelined from the first-ever tableau from the Union Territory of Ladakh, participating in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“Ladakh region means cultural and religious heritage sites representing both Muslims and Buddhists from Leh and Kargil districts. However, it’s for the first time that Ladakh will have a tableau of its own but the leadership in Kargil believes there is no equal share of representation. Both the religious and cultural heritage has been ignored,” Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan said.
The local leaders pointed out that Ladakh, which has a population of 2.74 lakh as per the 2011 census, has the highest Muslim population at 1.27 lakh followed by Buddhists at 1.08 lakh.
National Conference leader Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan, in a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, has also expressed his dissatisfaction.
“Ignoring the socio-cultural aspects of Kargil has discredited the religious harmony. Such a move is an attempt to sow the seeds of conflict and confrontation, which is unacceptable,” a letter of the Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman, a religious body, addressed to the L-G reads.
The Jamat-Ulama Isna on Monday decided to stay away from the official function on the Republic Day in the district over “non-representation of Kargil”.
“By not attending the scheduled official function, we will register our protest. Both the Centre and the UT administration have ignored Kargil,” Sheikh Nazir Mohammadi, president of Anjuman-e- Jamiat Ul Ulama Isna Ashaira Kargil, said.
The UT of Ladakh was carved out of J&K on August 5, 2019.
