Ladakh demands Separate legislature Assembly, ahead of J&K meet

Ground Report | New Delhi: Ladakh demands Separate legislature Assembly; Ahead of meeting with the mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, Apex Committee for People's Movement of Ladakh, on Wednesday demand for formation of Legislative Assembly in Ladakh and implementation of Sixth Schedule to the state has been reiterated. The Apex Committee also includes local leaders from the BJP and Congress.

Demands of Separate legislature

Former Ladakh MP Thupstan Tsewang and MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said that we have met Union Home Minister Amit Shah twice. We have asked them to set up a Legislative Assembly in Ladakh as well and include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It is very important for the social, political, cultural, and economic interests of Ladakhis as well as for the protection of the environment. This demand of ours has not been fulfilled to date.

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He said, "We were till now demanding safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to allay people's apprehensions about land, jobs, culture, language, and environment." A member of the Apex body, which includes heads of most socio-religious and political organizations, during a press conference in Leh. "However, we have now replaced our demand for Ladakh with a legislature in the Union Territory."

He said that the Prime Minister has called the leaders of Kashmir for talks. In this meeting to be held on Thursday, a major decision can be taken in the context of Jammu and Kashmir. That is why we want that the pending issues of Ladakh should also be resolved soon. We are talking about land, jobs, environmental protection, cultural protection, and other interests here (Ladakh demands Separate legislature).

95 percent population Scheduled Tribes

Former MP Tsewang said that the state of Ladakh has been formed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act. Ladakh was earlier a part of Jammu and Kashmir. People here are also apprehensive about their future after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.

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He said after becoming a Union Territory, the functioning of the local administration in Ladakh has not been up to expectations. Therefore, all the people present in the Apex Committee meeting have decided that there should be a Legislative Assembly in Ladakh also, which should make laws in the context of Ladakh. 

"Even if the Legislative Assembly is formed here, it is mandatory to implement the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution for the interests of Ladakhis. Because more than 95 percent of the population here is from the Scheduled Tribes category. Apart from this, the geographical conditions are also quite difficult' he added.

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