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Source– The post is based on the article “Fire and ice” published in The Hindu on 3rd February 2023.
Syllabus: GS2- Polity. GS1- Regionalism
Relevance– Regional political issues
News– The people of Ladakh are on agitation for their demands.
What are the demands of agitating people in Ladakh?
They are demanding the inclusion of the region in the Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution.
Other demands are restoration of full-fledged Statehood, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts and job reservation for locals.
They describe the demands as key to protecting Ladakh’s identity, culture and the fragile environment.
What are the main issues facing Ladakhi people?
Soon after its creation as a UT in August 2019, Ladakh came under a bureaucracy. It has been hostile and unresponsive to the local population.
The constant tussle between locals, elected representatives of two Hill Councils of Kargil and Leh has only widened over the months.
Leh’s political and religious bodies formed the Leh Apex Body in 2020.
In Kargil district, some political parties and Shia Muslim-affiliated seminaries joined hands in November 2020 to form the Kargil Democratic Alliance. It is advocating for re-joining with the erstwhile J&K State and restoration of its special status under Article 370.
What is the response of the centre?
The Centre appears to be in a bind. The two committees appointed by it to reassure the local populations have made little progress in the last two years.
Second committee appointed this year under the Minister of State has only deepened local anger. It has no mandate to address the issues being raised.
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