Fresh Differences Emerge Over Ladakh Statehood Demand 

• A newly formed group, Voice of Buddhist Ladakh, has rejected statehood, citing fears of Muslim demographic and political dominance

• The group proposes a 21-member territorial council from seven district councils with powers to local demographics

• Some believe that the move threatens to weaken the existing front that is negotiations with the Centre on statehood

In what is being seen as a major setback to the demand for statehood for Ladakh, a newly-formed Buddhist group and some members from the community in Leh have opposed the demand, contending that Muslims from Kargil would get an upper hand after the chief minister is elected from the majority community.

The Voice of Buddhist Ladakh (VBL) has demanded that Ladakh be governed by a territorial council, which would have the power to frame laws to protect the land and jobs in the region for the local people. Some Buddhists and a member of the high-powered committee by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is continuing the talks with the Ladakhi leadership, have also suggested that Ladakh should explore avenues for mobilising revenues before pushing for the statehood demand.

The VBL has sought that seven councils should be formed in Ladakh at the district level to be tasked with the responsibility of undertaking the development of different districts. Seeking inclusion in the high-powered committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for talks on Ladakh, VBL has also demanded that the three members each should be elected from the district councils to form the twenty-one-member territorial council, which would have powers to frame laws to protect the demographics of the region.

“There are concerns among the Buddhists that the dominance of the Muslims from Kargil will increase after the formation of the state, and they have also sought inclusion in the talks with the MHA. The 2011 census put the number of Muslims higher than that of Buddhists in Ladakh. The population of Muslims would have increased, while that of Buddhists it has nearly remained the same. The interests of the Buddhists, who face the demographic threat from the Muslims, need to be safeguarded,” says Skarma Namtak, convener of the VBL. 

“For the time being, we have sought that instead of the statehood, Ladakh should get councils in the seven districts and each of these councils can elect three members to form a 21-number territorial council, which would have the powers to frame laws so that the interest of the local people remains supreme and their rights on jobs and the land are protected,” he adds.

Kunzes Dolma, member of the high-powered committee of the MHA, and the former vice president of Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), says, “We depend entirely on the Central government for funding. After Ladakh became a Union Territory, which was a long-standing demand from the region, the quality of life of the people has only improved. Most of the people are salaried here. They have got a hike in the UT, and if a new political apparatus takes shape, then we need to also ensure that the economy of the region is not hurt,” she says.

The demand from the Buddhist groups seeking inclusion in the talks by the Central government and focus on the constitution of territorial councils and the safeguarding of economic interests is, however, also seen to be a setback for the demand for statehood. 

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been seeking that the UT should get statehood, and the Central government should constitute autonomous district councils under the Sixth Schedule and deny jobs and rights to buy land for non-locals, had submitted to the Central government that there was unanimity on these demands. 

Earlier, in September, four people were killed while several others were injured after police fired into the mob, which had been protesting in favour of the demand for statehood. Clashes between the police and the youth saw damage to public property, while the BJP office was also torched by the protestors.

However, a LAB member says that with the new demand of the territorial council now being raised from the Ladakh region, it could impact the negotiations with the Central government over their demand for statehood. “This would certainly have a bearing on the talks process, which is ongoing with the Ministry of Home Affairs and will also undermine our demand for statehood and the 6th schedule rights for the Ladakh region, which has been highlighted before the Government of India through a draft proposal that has been submitted to them,” says the LAB member.

LAB co-chairman, Chering Dorjay, however, says, “We have urged different political parties to dissolve their units and have received a positive response from the Aam Aadmi Party, which has conveyed that it was ready to do so if others follow suit. We are also in talks with the Congress and other parties seeking their co-operation.”

“But there are some groups like Voice of Buddhist Ladakh, which seem to have been receiving the patronage from the government. If tomorrow the Central government says that their views have to be taken into account and their proposals would be implemented, then we would withdraw from the talks,” he says.