Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 2: Stating that the Kashmiri mainstream and separatist leaders have no right to speak on our behalf, BJP leader from Ladakh and Minister for Cooperative Cheering Dorjay said that Ladakh people are not against Azadi or greater Autonomy if given to Kashmir.
“Ladakhis is have suffered immensely under the oppressive rule and domination by Kashmir dissentions. Kashmiri leaders whether it is mainstream or separatist have no right to speak on behalf of Ladakh people. I think Kashmir is a major stumbling block in granting the Union Territory (UT) status to Ladakh,” Dorjay said in an interview.
He maintained that if the Kashmiri people want Azadi or greater Autonomy, people of Ladakh are not against it. “I think this long pending issue should be settled soon but at the same time Ladakh should be separated from the Kashmir,” he said.
He said that the continuous neglect of Ladakh by successive Governments in the State of Jammu and Kashmir has proved our apprehension of discrimination and step motherly treatment. “We know it is not going to be an easy task but the State Legislative Assembly has to agree to our genuine demand,” he added.
It is to mention here that at the time of the LAHDC polls, the BJP and the RSS had promised UT status to Ladakh.
Dorjay further said that the LAHDC hopes that the Centre can help in the matter despite the fact that neither Parliament nor the Central Government can take a unilateral decision in this regard. “The State has its own Constitution and its legislature alone can decide on Constitutional matters. People of Ladakh are however relieved that a national party (BJP) has accepted that their demand is genuine and showed commitment towards fulfilling it in the near future. We don’t know how much time they (Centre) will take to accept our demand but we are hopeful that the Central Government, led by Narendra Modi, will definitely accept it,” he said and added that in the past 60 years, no other Government has shown such concern for Ladakh.
“Despite the formation of Ladakh Automous Hill Development Councils both in Leh and Kargil districts, which constitute the Ladakh region, we remain at the receiving end in the State. In reality we continue to be governed through remote control from Srinagar by Kashmir Centric leadership. A UT alone can save the Ladakh region,” he added. (KNS)
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