The people living in Ladakh are highly concerned about their land and jobs and demanding ‘constitutional safeguard’ fearing that the region may loose its identity and environment to the outsiders post Abrogation of Article 370.
Many opposing parties, including the ruling BJP, have also raised concerns about the constitutional safeguard Ladakh and have expressed resentment and raised questions about the possible identity loss and growing hopelessness among the residing population – jobs, land and other things would not be exclusively available for them and the region will lose its scenic and rich identity it holds for long now.
The Political groups said that Ladakh will suffer immensely in future, in times to come if the constitutional safeguard is not granted the worries for people will not end and insecurities among people will mount amid fears of loss of identity, jobs, land, culture and rich identity.
Former BJP Chief for Ladakh Chering Dorjey, who is the senior most politician from the region that if the constitutional safeguard under schedules isn’t given to the region it will have huge impact over the local population.
Official spokesman of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rinchen Namgyal, from the region said that nearly 97 percent of the population is tribal and the region is border area with two countries, Pakistan and China around them and the new domicile law from center government will largely affect the identity of Ladakhi’s.
Mass exploitation and migration of region’s resources and economy will happen and the rich culture of Ladakh will end if the protection under schedules and region will befall the culture and minorities will not be welcomed.
Sajad Hussain, a young political face from the region, who contested 2019 Lok Sabha polls told KNO (Kashmir News Observer) that the demand for the 6th schedule is from the people of Leh only and it’s unfortunate that whenever any demand came up from Leh they’re stubborn to build a narrative that it’s the demand of entire Ladakh while as any demand raised from Kargil is stated to be the sole responsibility of it (Kargil).
“The Leaders of Leh got trapped in an anti-Kashmir narrative during which their stand was against the article 370 and 35A which actually turned the entire region vulnerable to the huge concerns of job, land and future security,” he said. “Whatever the demands are being raised right this time about the safeguard are only in view of the forthcoming hill council polls only and why all being is sought after completion of a year no prior to that,” he said.
The people of Kargil want the restoration of statehood status same as it was on August 04 in 2019, Hussain said.
BJP councilor and deputy chairman of LAHDC, Tsering Samdup that read “Keeping in view aspirations of the people of Ladakh, I would like to move the resolution that the Union Territory of Ladakh be granted constitutional safeguards for land, environment, employment, business, and cultural resources either under the sixth schedule or Article 371 or domicile Act, under the Constitution of India, to protect the tribal rights of indigenous people of Ladakh.”