Tsewang Rigzin
LEH, Apr 24: In a strongly worded press conference held here on Thursday, gazetted aspirants and unemployed youth from across Ladakh, especially from Leh district, expressed serious concern over the worsening job crisis in the Union Territory of Ladakh. They highlighted the prolonged delays in government recruitment and called for immediate action to safeguard the future of Ladakhi youth.
“The unemployment situation in Ladakh is at its worst today,” said one of the gazetted aspirants. “We are constantly asked, ‘What do you do?’ and we have no answer. This sense of helplessness is pushing many into anxiety, frustration, and even depression,” he added.
Youth warned that the ongoing crisis is not only affecting mental health but also leading to a rise in substance abuse among young people. They feared that if not addressed urgently, this could trigger an increase in crime across the region.
Rejecting any proposal for a Jammu & Kashmir-style domicile policy, the youth reiterated that over 84,000 non-state subjects have already been issued domicile certificates in J&K under a 15-year residency clause. They emphasized that such a provision in Ladakh would be disastrous for the region’s demography and employment prospects.
Youth in one voice advocated for a stronger domicile policy with a cut-off year of 1989, arguing that such a policy would help protect employment opportunities for genuine Ladakh residents and protect the region’s future for Ladakhis. “We had earlier demanded a domicile policy like the one in Sikkim, which strongly protects the employment rights of locals,” they reminded.
Expressing hope from the upcoming meeting between Ladakhi leaders and the Ministry of Home Affairs scheduled for May 20, youth appealed for concrete outcomes. Youth also demanded that this time official minutes of the meeting with MHA should come out. “We believed our representatives would address our issues. Sadly, the problems still persist. We need action, not just promises,” said one speaker.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
