Sir,
In reference to the various editorials and statements appearing in newspapers throughout the region, I offer a few observations. The granting of Scheduled Tribe status for Ladakhis and later the creation of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Divisional Council (AHDC) paved the way for the further development of Ladakh. These achievements were obtained by the people of the Ladakh after their long struggles and decades of neglect. What Ladakhis really expected from the Hill Councils, however, has yet to be seen. Because of petty politics, the last two decades have seen few tangible gains for the people of Ladakh.
After troubles began in Kashmir in the year 1990, the Government of India constituted a three-member interlocutor to find out ways and means to resolve the Kashmir tangle. The interlocutor proposed separating Ladakh from the Kashmir Division, granting it divisional status. I myself, being a well wisher of the people of Ladakh, strongly pleaded for the granting of divisional status to the region, not only through the local presses, but also by presenting a paper at the 16th colloquium of the International Association for Ladakh Studies held in Germany, before the world’s academics in April 2013. Since then, much water has flown in the Indus and the state Legislative Council, through a resolution, resolved that Ladakh be granted divisional status. Now the ball is in court of our leaders. Instead of using this topic as a talking point for their own short-term political gains, our leaders should look beyond the coming Lok Sabha election, to the future of Ladakh.
Yours etc….
Nawang Tsering Shakspo,
Director, Centre for Research on Ladakh, Leh-Ladakh
Follow our WhatsApp channel