Ladakh Statehood Demand: The Center on Monday agreed to discuss the demands of granting statehood to Ladakh, including it in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and setting up a special Public Service Commission for the high-altitude Union Territory.
This agreement was reached in the meeting of the 14-member delegation of Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the apex body representing various organizations of Ladakh, and the High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted for Ladakh under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. .
Hunger strike decision canceled
A joint press release issued by ABL and KDA said, “It was decided in the meeting to discuss our main demands which include statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of it in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and recognition of Ladakh on February 24.” This includes the demand for formation of a Special Public Service Commission.
In view of this important development, both the organizations of Ladakh decided to cancel their plan of going on a hunger strike from Tuesday (February 20) for the time being.
Sub-committee formed of several members
In the meeting, it was decided to form a joint sub-committee to take forward the exercise of considering the demands. “A sub-committee has been formed with some members including Thupstan Chhewang, Charing Dorje Lakruk and Nawang Rigzin Jora representing ABL and Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asghar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad representing KDA,” the release said. Kargili is included.
Both the organizations sent the names of the sub-committee members to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla. The release said that all the members of the sub-committee are in Delhi and we look forward to a fruitful discussion in the next meeting.
At present there is one Lok Sabha constituency in Ladakh, no assembly constituency.
Other demands of the delegation also include two Lok Sabha seats (one for Kargil and one for Leh), employment opportunities for the residents of the Union Territory. At present there is only one Lok Sabha constituency in Ladakh. Ladakh has no assembly constituency and was earlier a part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, were abrogated on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was divided into two union territories as Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
