Ladakh simmering as their rights at stake
By: Tariq Shah
Srinagar
The cat is out of the bag as the people of Ladakh are brewing with resentment against the continued silence of the central government to safeguard their various rights including on land as this region is now a Union Territory being directly controlled by central government without any legislature.
Recently many shades of society have made a platform known as People’s Movement an amalgam of all political, religious and social groups for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. This platform has decided to boycott the coming elections for Leh council till the centre grants Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh UT and its people on the lines of the Bodo Territorial Council.
People of Leh and Kargil want the central government to empower the existing hill development councils of Kargil and Ladakh with more powers so that they can legislate on the issues pertaining to the people living in this Union Territory.
The movement is headed by the former MP and the main anchor of BJP in Ladakh region Thupstan Chhewang who made the announcement in Leh before the media people and said that the body has decided to appeal people to boycott the coming elections unless the central government will not grant them the demanded rights.