​Act north: on the needs of Ladakh

The measures notified by the Centre on June 3 seek to address the several concerns that have been raised by the people of Ladakh regarding their language, culture and land. These issues came to the fore after the special status of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), under Article 370, was withdrawn in 2019 and it was bifurcated into Union Territories (UT). New policies on reservation, languages, domicile and composition of hill councils for the UT of Ladakh include a provision for up to 85% reservation for indigenous people in government jobs. Further clarity is expected when the rules are framed. Several States in the Northeast have reservation above 80% for indigenous people in various sectors — for instance, Mizoram has 92%, and Arunachal Pradesh has 80% in jobs. To be counted as a domicile of Ladakh, a person must have a continuous 15-year stay from 2019 in Ladakh. This means that migrants in Ladakh, after it lost its special status in 2019, will be considered for domicile only after 2034. The comparable provision in the UT of J&K considers anyone who has completed 15 years as a registered migrant eligible for domicile. In hill councils, one-third of the seats will be reserved for women, as per the policy. English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi languages will be the official languages.

These measures fall short of the demands that civil society organisations in Ladakh have been raising. They want full Statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which provides for special protection for tribespeople in several parts of the country, a second seat in the Lok Sabha and the constitution of a public service commission. While Ladakh, with a population of 2.74 lakh (2011 Census) has been demanding constitutional safeguards to protect its identity, culture and land, the lack of jobs and employment opportunities for the youth were at the heart of protests witnessed by the Union Territory in the past five years. A parliamentary panel was informed by the Union Home Ministry earlier this year that none of the 1,275 gazetted posts in Ladakh has been filled since the region became a centrally administered territory in 2019. The sustained campaign by the Ladakhis, both in Kargil and Leh, forced the government to form a high-powered committee in 2023, headed by Minister of State Nityanand Rai, to look into their demands. Ladakh is strategically located at the junction of India, Pakistan and China, where both neighbours have border disputes with India. Recent developments have demonstrated that both these countries often act in tandem. It is imperative that New Delhi pays close attention to the sentiments of the region.