Congress urges full realization of Ladakh’s statehood demands

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said the distress and anguish of the people of Ladakh must awaken the government’s conscience, not just for even more talks but for actually fulfilling their legitimate aspirations in full measure at the very earliest.

The opposition party’s assertion comes after protests for statehood turned violent on Wednesday, leaving four people dead and 90 others injured.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said six years ago, the people of Ladakh had great expectations when the Union Territory of Ladakh was created but there has been massive disappointment and disenchantment.

The people of Ladakh have seen their land and employment rights under severe threat, he said on X.

They have also seen the local administration and elected bodies taken over by the LG and the bureaucracy, Ramesh said.

The people have seen only meetings after meetings on their legitimate demands for protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and for an elected legislature, he said.

Ramesh also said there was “great uncertainty” caused by China’s unilateral abrogation of the status quo on the Line of Actual Control and the “PM’s June 19, 2020, clean chit to China”.

Ladakh is of profound cultural, economic, ecological, and strategic importance to India, he asserted.

“The people of Ladakh have, at all times, been proud Indians to their very core. Their distress and anguish must awaken the Government of India’s conscience – not just for even more talks but for actually fulfilling their legitimate aspirations in FULL measure at the very earliest,” Ramesh said.

An uneasy calm prevailed in Ladakh on Thursday as police and paramilitary troops strictly enforced a curfew in Leh town, a day after protests for statehood turned violent.

At least 50 people have been detained so far in connection with the violence that broke out on Wednesday during the shutdown called by Leh Apex Body (LAB) to demand an extension of the Sixth Schedule and statehood for Ladakh.