Rebuild the ground for dialogue in Ladakh

Ladakh’s current crisis can be traced to the debate over governance and the development projects proposed for the region

The breakdown in the talks scheduled between the Centre and the two local outfits heading the stir in Ladakh is unfortunate. The Leh Apex Body (LAB) withdrew from the dialogue after the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk; the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) followed suit on Tuesday. The KDA has demanded that Wangchuk be released and a judicial probe ordered into the firing by the security forces on September 24. The administration of the Union Territory (UT) would do well to temper its tough talk regarding Wangchuk — it has accused the Ladakhi activist of instigating the protests that led to the firing and the death of four protestors, one of them a Kargil War veteran, and arson involving public buildings and a BJP office in Leh — and prepare the ground for the resolution of local demands.

The demand for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh must be seen in the context of the provision of governance and development to the region, instead of being over-read as a conspiracy against the nation. (ANI)

Ladakh’s current crisis can be traced to the debate over governance and the development projects proposed for the region. However well-intentioned the UT administration’s proposals may be, they need to pass muster with the resident population. The former must respect the agency of the local population and hear out their concerns. What may be deemed as barren land could be pasture that has been a part of the commons, and the transfer of such land to corporations or private interests, irrespective of perceived benefits to the local economy, could trigger fear of land alienation. The demand for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh must be seen in this context instead of being over-read as a conspiracy against the nation. Kargil and Ladakh have been bulwarks against the designs of Pakistan and China in the region. That confidence should guide the Centre as it engages with the concerns of the region.