People's Democracy

The Story Of Ladakh

Nachiketa

WHILE most media attention centres around if citizens of Jammu and Kashmir are likely to vote in the three phases left of the four-phased elections for the state assembly, Ladakh is a forgotten story. Leh, one of the two districts in the region of Ladakh [consisting of two-thirds of the entire state’s 64000 sq. kms of territory] is not going to vote this time. And not because of threats or the fear of the gun, but because they have already elected their two representatives! Already having got an Autonomous Hill Development Council in 1994, all political parties in Leh disbanded themselves in the district last month, and `came together’ under the banner of the Ladakh Union Territory Front.

Convinced that the answers to the problems of underdevelopment [neglect of education, proper access to neighbouring districts and the lack of appreciation of their unique problems caused by the climatic conditions in the region] lies in separation from Srinagar, all political parties in the district dissolved themselves, to strengthen their demand for a Union Territory status for Leh. Says Nawang Ringzin, elected form Leh [city], "we have always had to suffer the disadvantages associated with being a part of J&K. Our tourism figures have dropped, all attention is spent on dealing with Kashmir and Jammu’s problems, and we remain neglected."

Pintoo Norbu, the person unanimously elected from Nobra, the second seat in Leh, has more to add to this. " It is a fact that Buddhist Leh has suffered under Farooq Abdullah’s government. We need a direct line to Delhi, as we have our own unique, problems, history and culture." Are they not learning from the experiences of other Union Territories, even Delhi! Where being directly under the centre means a lot less autonomy, aren’t they going against the grain of the current trend of states actually wanting more autonomy?

Articles appearing in the national press have been laudatory, hailing the era of consensual politics in this district as a possible way ahead for politics where there are "too many parties". However, as just one visit to the region of Ladakh would tell you, Leh, is not all of Ladakh. Under this veneer of `consensual politics’ lie deep tensions and a divide, which hasn’t even been properly reported, let alone tackled.

Ladakh has two districts, and contrary to popular perception it isn’t a Buddhist majority area. Buddhists and Muslims are about half each in the district of Leh, and the other district of Ladakh, i.e. Kargil, muslims are in a majority. Leh has had a history of fairly harmonious existence between Muslims and Buddhists, till about 1986, when there were widespread riots resulting in the boycott of many muslim shops and businesses. There hasn’t been an outbreak of communal violence over the past few years, but the situation there is best one of an uneasy coexistence, with problems exacerbated due to the unemployment, and lack of opportunities for all citizens, Buddhist or Muslim.

Muslims in Leh have organized themselves into a Ladakh Muslim Coordination Committee, and are very concerned about the Leh demand for a Union Territory status being seen as a demand put forth by all of Ladakh. They are at pains to emphasis that they would want wider consultation between all of Ladakh, before putting forth a collective view, which can legitimately claim to be a view from Ladakh.

The other district in Ladakh, apart from Leh, is the now-famous district of Kargil, which voted heavily in the recently concluded first phase of the polls. Kargil is clearly in favour of using the vote for asserting the right to choose who does what with money legitimately due to it in the national or state budget. Kargil, though cut off from the state of Jammu and Kashmir for eight months in a year [thanks to the only route to Srinagar, the Zijila pass being snowed under] is deeply conscious of its Kahsmiri roots, and most people there say they would rather stick with Kashmir till its problems are resolved, instead of severing off all ties.

The people of Kargil, say they have stronger business ties with Kashmir, and if a regional divide is talked of, then it should be Greater Ladakh, a concept that includes. Gilgit, Skardu [now under Pakistani occupation] and the region of Tibet! The average Kargili argues that Delhi has fostered divisions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, eg. by linking the three major regions, Srinagar, Jammu and Leh, directly with Delhi, much more than allowing the state to foster better ties between thee areas! Kargil, meanwhile, has an airport, but it isn’t operational as yet. Kargil has been nursing a feeling of anger, against Delhi, especially after the Kargil skirmish with Pakistan. Says Mohd. Sadiq, a hotel owner in the town, "it was only our shepherds that informed the Indian army that the Pakistanis had taken hold of key area on the slopes. They simply wouldn’t have known otherwise. And yet, there is a pereption that we are traitors because we are Muslims, and there has been no effort to develop the area."

Coming back to the fact of Leh wanting to `separate’ and turn into a Union Territory, it is interesting to note, that this has all got a fillip once the trifurcation debate was raked up by the Sangh Parivar, as part of its usual sloppy answers to `saving the nation’. But the best quip came from Sajjad Hussain, a student leader in Kargil – " The Leh people want to go to Japan, ask Kargilis, and they would want to go to Iran. The Kashmiris would probably say Pakistan, and the Jammu people would say something else. And at this rate, you would completely divide the country, district by district. This is completely unacceptable."

Jammu and Kashmir, now in the eye of a storm for militant activities, is actually as diverse as India itself – mini India, as they themselves describe it. To lose the colours or break them up, would certainly not be an `administrative decision’, but one that would shake the very foundations of what India is all about.