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Braving freezing cold, thousands march in Ladakh demanding statehood

Ladakah was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and converted into a Union Territory (UT) after Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019. Read More

Sunday February 4, 2024 10:25 AM , ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: Thousands of protesters Saturday February 3, 2024 marched in the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh in response to a shutdown call demanding Statehood and Tribal status.

Ladakah was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and converted into a Union Territory (UT) after Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019.

Saturday’s shutdown in the region was called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), two influential groups spearheading an agitation to demand Statehood.

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This is from Leh, Ladakh yesterday.

Thousands of people took to the streets demanding Statehood & for providing safeguards under 6th Schedule of the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/JHmPwRGBZ2

— Cow Momma (@Cow__Momma) February 4, 2024

Additionally, they seek tribal status for Ladakh, with its inclusion in the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule, job reservation for locals and a parliamentary seat each for the Leh and Kargil districts.

'Four-Point Agenda'

Haji Ghulam Mustafa, Legal Adviser of Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance Haji said the protest march was held to press their four demands.

“All our powers which were people-centric have weakened ever since we were separated from Jammu and Kashmir and converted into a Union Territory”, Ghulam Mustafa said while talking to news agency ANI.

“We had four members in the assembly and two in the legislative council when we were a part of Jammu & Kashmir. Now we have no representation in the assembly. This has always been our demand that the people of Ladakh should have representation in the assembly and that we should get statehood”, he said.

Demanding Special Status for Ladakh under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Ghulam Mustafa said:

“Ladakh is a strategically very important place. This is a tribal majority area and has all the features north-eastern states have. Along the lines of the northeastern states, it is our demand that the provisions of the 6th schedule be implemented in Ladakh. It is important to protect its culture”, he said.

Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram are the four states in Northeast India where Special Status has been granted and Autonomous District Councils (ADC) have been constituted under the Indian Constitution's Schedule Six.

Ghulam Mustafa also demanded the job security and Public Service Commission (PSC) for the people of Ladakh.

“Ever since Ladakh became a UT, there have been no gazetted job openings in the region. While in J&K two batches have already been commissioned and the third batch is going to get commissioned soon. Ladakh immediately needs to have a Public Service Commission of its own. People have observed a complete 'bandh'. This tells us that the people of Ladakh demand that the region be empowered”, he said.

 

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