Sanjeev K Sharma
Contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha (LS) elections from Ladakh Parliamentary Constituency as an Independent candidate, Mohmad Haneefa Jan has claimed that freedom of the Ladakh people has been snatched from them and they have been enslaved by the bureaucracy following August 5, 2019 political developments under which the Article 370 granting special status to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State was abrogated along with 35-A and the State was reorganised into two Union Territories (UTs)-J&K, and Ladakh.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Haneefa, 55, from Baroo area of Kargil informed that protests erupted in Kargil right from the day Ladakh was made Union Territory.
“With the abrogation of Article 370 we lost our safeguards over land, culture, environment and future of our youth is now not safe in the newly formed UT. So we are demanding protection of our lands and culture under the Sixth Schedule,” he further said adding that their another demand is the establishment of Public Service Commission (PSC) for Ladakh to recruit the Ladakhi youths on gazetted posts.
Haneefa—a prominent political figure from the Kargil area of Ladakh remained Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil for one and a half year and he was also Kargil district National Conference (NC) president.
“During last elections for the Hill Development Council of Kargil, the main leading political parties NC and Congress had entered into a coalition which is still intact,” he informed.
Haneefa said that NC-Congress coalition in INDI Alliance, has officially announced their candidate from Ladakh and pressure was put on them by NC high command to support him but the whole NC unit of Kargil resigned to support public issues by standing by his (Haneefa’s) candidature.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
“Had the earlier LS member worked for the people of Ladakh there would have been no issue but now I assure that on winning I will become the voice of Ladakh,” he further said.
When asked about his priorities after winning the LS election, Haneefa said that after working for the four point agenda involving burning demands of Ladakh people, he will work for Kargil airport and roads in Ladakh up to Turtuk.
“This election is issue based and is very much different from the earlier elections and Buddhist people are also supporting me because I am contesting for the demands of Ladakh public,” he continued.
Haneefa confidently stated that even as an Independent he will easily secure over 60,000 votes in these Lok Sabha elections, polling for which is scheduled for May 20, 2024.
“Entire Ladakh is on protests for the last some years while in Kargil protests are being jointly organised by political parties, religious, social and other organisations on the platform of Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) as the people were against making Ladakh a UT,” Haneefa said adding that people from Kargil as well as those from Leh have started raising their voice against the formation of UT right from the day reorganisation of the erstwhile J&K State was done.
He informed that after reaching consensus, Apex Body Leh and KDA started protesting for the four demands of which one is full-fledged Statehood for Ladakh while the other three include safeguards to land and employment for locals under Sixth Schedule, establishment of PSC along with other recruitment boards in Ladakh and two Lok Sabha Constituencies for Ladakh-one for Leh and the other for Kargil.
Haneefa claimed that for the last 3-4 years, there was no PSC recruitment in Ladakh which has now left many youths over-aged and frustrated.
“Only district level recruitments are being held in Ladakh after the reorganisation of erstwhile J&K State and our children now can’t apply for jobs in J&K PSC,” Mohmad Haneefa Jan said.
He stated that while campaigning for the Lok Sabha seat he visits people to support their four demands and will keep the same demands before the upcoming Government.
“We fear that people from outside Ladakh will buy the land here as the control over State-land has now been taken away from the Hill Development Council and has been given to the administration run by the Lieutenant Governor which has its own interests,” he further said adding: “For a solar power project hundreds of acres of land in Leh has been allotted to private companies at Changthang near Line of Actual Control (LAC).”
“People in Changthang area are nomads and they move with their sheep-goat to pastures when season changes,” he further said.
When asked why students from Ladakh still have to venture outside to different States for education purpose, he informed that it was because the education system in Ladakh has not been properly developed so far.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
