Leh, Kargil leaders seek statehood for Ladakh

SRI NAGAR: Ahead of the second anniversary of the scrapping of Article 370 and the bifurcation of J&K, leaders of Leh and Kargil in Ladakh UT joined hands on Monday to demand constitutional safeguards on the lines of Article 371 and statehood with legislature for Ladakh. 

The leaders of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met and evolved consensus on four points. LAB had been demanding provisions of the 6th Schedule be extended to Ladakh, while KDA had been voicing its support for restoration of pre-August 5, 2019, position for J&K.

“The leaders of both the districts have demanded full-fledged statehood with legislature for Ladakh. We will be raising this issue with the Centre,” said KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai. He said the leaders of alliance seek constitutional guarantees on the lines of Article 371 to safeguard the job and land rights of the local population. Ladakh comprises two districts – Buddhist dominated Leh and Muslim dominated Kargil.

“The Ladakh government has come up with new recruitment rules. We want to make it clear that people of Ladakh won’t accept any domicile law made applicable to J&K. The Permanent Resident Certificate of Ladakhi people in the erstwhile J&K and the vacant posts be filled on the basis of the old state subject law,” he said.