Amidst hunger strike in Ladakh, a one-of-a-kind birthday wish for PM Modi
Amidst hunger strike in Ladakh, a one-of-a-kind birthday wish for PM Modi
It was one-of-a-kind birthday greeting for PM Modi in Ladakh on his 75th birthday on 17 September in Srinagar. Over 500 people on a hunger strike, marked PM Modi’s birthday on Tuesday with collective prayers and wishes for his well-being.
Notably, each protester held a khata – a ceremonial white scarf which symbolises an honour and respect, and and offered prayers unitedly.
The Sonam.Wangchuk-led demonstration is now on its eighth day.
Sonam has been demanding statehood for Ladakh and the inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
As per Wangchuk while the protesters had little else to offer, they extended their “good wishes and prayers” to PM Modi, adding that they hoped he would reciprocate by fulfilling the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) promise of Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh.
Reportedly, over the past three years, Ladakh has seen growing unrest against direct central rule and the residents have been repeatedly calling for statehood and constitutional safeguards to protect their land, culture, and resources.
Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory in August 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. At the time around, many in Leh, including Wangchuk, had welcomed the move. However, within a year, concerns began to mount over what residents described as a political vacuum under the administration of the Lieutenant Governor.
This discontent gave rise to large-scale protests and hunger strikes. For the first time, political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil joined hands under a joint platform: the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
In response, the Centre set up a high-level committee to examine Ladakh’s demands. Ironically, successive rounds of talks yielded no breakthrough. In March this year, Ladakhi representatives met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.Talks collapsed soon afterwards and Local leaders said that the Home Minister had rejected their core demands.
In the midst of the meeting, the Home Minister apprised them that he had made a mistake by carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. He also rejected their demand for statehood and the Sixth Schedule,” one leader who attended the meeting revealed to the media.
News Edit KV Raman
