Govind Tekale
3rd December happens to be the birthday of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. Talks are to be held between Ladakhi leaders and the Union Home Ministry officials. Sonam Wangchuk has posted a message wishing these talks a success. The message is by children of Ladakh.
There are many demands of Ladakh. The main demand is to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of our Constitution. The Ladakhis also want their region to be declared as a state. At present, Ladakh is a Union Territory. Already the Central Government has announced that this UT (Union Territory) will have 5 districts in place of the present 2 districts of Leh and Kargil. Sonam Wangchuk is one of the main leaders of Ladakhi agitation.
Ladakh was a part of Jammu and Kashmir. But in 2019, the Government of India abrogated Article 370 which gave a special status to J&K. As a result, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were made Union Territories. Each UT is headed by a Lt. Governor. This year Omar Abdullah became the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir following elections. He has demanded statehood for his UT. The Central Government may bring in a bill to make J&K a state again. But Article 370 has become a part of history.
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The 3 December talks are being held in the background of winter session of Parliament. The Ladakhis expect success from these talks. They are hopeful that at least some of their demands will be met as a result of these talks between Ladakhi leaders and home ministry officials. Ladakh is a very strategic point. There is always a presence of the Chinese army at the Sino-Indian border of Ladakh. This point will be definitely taken into account during the talks on December 3.
Already there is a tribal conflict in Manipur. So the central administration does not want unrest in Ladakh. Hence the call for talks on the demands of this sensitive area of our country. Wangchuk has led a long march from Ladakh to New Delhi highlighting the demands of Ladakhis. As a Ramon Magsaysay award winner, Wangchuk has got a worldwide following. That is why these talks have become a focal point of world news. Let us hope the just demands of Ladakhis will be conceded by the Modi government and peace will prevail in this strategic region.
