Ladakh has been one of the most peaceful hilly regions in the country despite the border tensions between India and China but the past few days have shattered the myth as on Wednesday violence erupted in the region resulting into the death of four people and injuries to scores. Curfew has been imposed in the region and thankfully situation is reported to be under control.
While political parties have started pointing fingers towards each other and the Union Home Ministry too has said that the violence was planned by elements who wanted to disturb peace in the region, the people of Ladakh themselves are in a shock. As rightly said by the Lt Governor of Ladakh, the region has always been known for its peace, harmony, and brotherhood. So the question is what triggered the violence.
The incident needs a thorough probe and while doing so, the central government should also do some introspection that why the situation has reached to this point. When Article 370 and 35 A were scrapped and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories, the people of Ladakh had celebrated the move. They had all along been demanding UT status and were not happy to be governed from Srinagar and Jammu.
So, what went wrong and why this agitation? This is a serious question that both Ladakh LG administration and the central government would have to ponder upon. While designating Ladakh as UT, unlike J&K, there was no promise of granting the region the statehood. And people of Ladakh, particularly Leh, had welcomed the move. So why now the disturbance? Have respective LG administrations failed to deliver, or are there any other political reasons. These questions need answers,
The people of Ladakh have been demanding statehood from some time and extension of Sixth Schedule for past four years. LAB and KDA are spearheading the movement and are expected to have next round of talks with the Centre scheduled for October 6. There is an urgent need to resolve the issue by engagement. Violence will not help anyone but will only worsen the situation. Kashmir has seen a lot of violence and the wounds are yet to heal. People of Ladakh should keep in mind that violence is a path to self destruction and thus should shun such agitations.
On its part, the Government of India should fully engage with the political, social and religious leadership of both the districts of Ladakh. Dialogue to resolve contentious issues should be started and all the issues should be resolved amicably satisfying the urges and aspirations of the people of the rehion. The LG administration there should be a facilitator not a hinderence in the dialogue process.
