A major protest was organised in New Delhi on Wednesday as thousands of people from Ladakh gathered at Jantar Mantar to raise slogans, demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for jobs and land in the region. Ladakh political leaders, social activists, students and women from different social circles were among the protesters. The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which have been at the forefront of the agitation, had called for the demonstration. Apart from statehood, they have been demanding Sixth Schedule under the Constitution for the UT, job…
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Ladakh
‘Being Part Of Kashmir Was Better’ Ladakhi leaders opted out of GoI’s high powered meet
Ladakhi leaders, having opted out of the Centre’s high powered committee, say they were better off in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir than under the Union Territory administration. Days after the Union home ministry formed a committee, headed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, to end resentment in the region, the leadership spearheading protests in Ladakh has refused to be part of the panel. The Apex Body of Ladakh and Kargil Democratic Alliance have unanimously decided that it will not be part of the any…
Read MoreMHA sets up high-powered panel for land, employment safeguards for Ladakh UT
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a high-powered committee to discuss safeguards for Union Territory of Ladakh. According to an order, the committee will be headed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanad Rai. “It has been decided to constitute a High Powered Committee (HPC) under the chairmanship of Shri Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Gol, for the Union Territory of Ladakh,” reads the order. As per the order, the committee has been set up to discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and…
Read MoreHeli services started in Ladakh, covering Leh, Kargil, Padum, Lingshed, Dibling, Neyrak, Diskit, Turtuk, Srinagar and Jammu
The helicopter services in Ladakh are now open for tourists to travel across the Union Territory, with the first batch of tourists having already availed the heli-service, officials said. The first batch took the helicopter ride here on Tuesday. The helicopter services operated by the administration will be available to the locals and tourists across sectors in the Union Territory, they said. Rates to avail the service have been notified by the administration for the residents of Ladakh, according to the order from Ladakh’s civil aviation department. “Individuals desirous of…
Read MoreMonk march stirs communal tension in Ladakh
A march by a monk has triggered communal tension in Ladakh, the northernmost UT of the country. The march, started from Buddhist-dominated Leh on May 31, will end in Muslim-dominated Kargil on June 14. Choskyong Palga Rinpoche started the journey along with his followers. He aims at laying the stone of a monastery at a controversial site in Kargil. Some members of the Muslim community have already raised objections. The issue holds importance as members of both communities had, for the first time, forged an alliance last year to raise…
Read More7 Soldiers dead, 19 Injured in bus accident near LoC in Turtuk sector of Ladakh
Seven soldiers were killed and 19 others sustained injuries on Friday after the vehicle carrying them skidded off the road and tumbled into the Shyok river, in Ladakh’s Turtuk sector, army officials said. The accident took place at 9am around 25km from Thoise. The 26 soldiers were moving in a privately hired vehicle from the transit camp at Partapur, where an Indian Army brigade is headquartered, to a forward location in an area the army calls Sub Sector Hanif. “The vehicle skidded off the road and fell in Shyok river…
Read MoreLadakh observe strike over statehood demand
Demanding separate statehood, a strike was observed in Leh and Kargil districts of the Ladakh region on Monday; the call for strike was given by Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance Demanding separate statehood, a strike was observed in Leh and Kargil districts of the Ladakh region on Monday. The call for today’s strike was given by Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance – an amalgam of several trades, religious and political groups fighting for the rights of the two regions of the Ladakh. All the shops and…
Read MoreLadakh leaders announce mass agitation to press for statehood
Call for a strike on December 6 Accusing the BJP-led central government of being non-serious towards the issues and concerns of the people of Ladakh, prominent leaders from the union territory on Saturday announced a mass agitation to press for their four main demands, including full statehood and constitutional safeguards for the region. Govt has failed to meet demands The entire Ladakh region is united in support of our jointly chalked out agenda. The government has not shown seriousness towards addressing the demands of Ladakh. Asgar Ali Karbalai, Co-chairman of…
Read MoreGoI to form committee for holding negotiations after Ladakh leaders threaten agitation
In view of the threat of agitation given by the LAB due to prolonged delay in the constitution of the Panel to address their issues including the grant of Statehood to the Union Territory of Ladakh, the Government of India (GoI) is likely to constitute a high-powered committee shortly for holding negotiations with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). While there has been no official statement issued so far, reports with the Excelsior newspaper indicated that Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai might head…
Read MoreBuddhist-Majority Leh & Muslim-Majority Kargil unite to demand autonomy for Ladakh
Since 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir were reduced to two union territories, Ladakhis have found themselves without a legislature and without powers over laws affecting livelihoods and community rights. Buddhist and Muslim organisations now demand statehood, more political representation, and a constitutional right to self-govern. By – Tarushi Aswani “Leh was ecstatic” Despite being from a party that opposed the move, Congressman Deldan Namgyal, 43, said he felt “happy” on 5 August 2019. As military columns secured the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), a communications blackout was imposed, and…
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