News Excerpt:

The people of Leh are demanding full statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the region’s land, culture, language and environment.

More detail about news:

• The shutdown unfolded in the two districts of Leh and Kargil in response to a ‘Leh Chalo’ protest (march to Leh) called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — the two influential socio-political groups which have been at the forefront of the agitation for the past three years. 
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced the date for the second round of a high-powered committee set up to look into the demands for Ladakh.

The reason behind the protests:

• There have been multiple shutdowns in Ladakh in the past four years. The land has seen many street demonstrations and protests in the last few times. This has become frequent after the area has been carved out of the Jammu and Kashmir as a distinct Union Territory. The very incident has made the people of Ladakh feel like a loss of identity.
• The abrogation of Article 370 in the year 2019 repealed the special status conferred to erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State. 
• Moreover, it is important to note that Ladakh was one of the three distinct divisions of Jammu and Kashmir, and was set up as a Union Territory sans a legislature. 
• The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil were set up to administer the region. 
• However, the powers it has are actually limited. Additionally, In the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, four members represented Ladakh, and two people represented it in the Legislative Council prior to the abrogation. 
• This reorganization for Ladakh was nothing less than a big shock. Initially, people were optimistic, as the religious minorities in the region eagerly wanted a Union Territory status for the region. 
• However, this excitement soon turned into aggression. Ladakhis were of the view that opening the region to non-locals would hamper the demography of the region, which would ultimately lead to loss of special identity.
• Moreover, the unrest increased with a lack of political suppression and a jobs crisis. 

Who is behind the agitation and what do they want?

• The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance — an alliance of civil society, religious, political and student organisations — reached a consensus and finalised a four-point agenda in 2021. 
• The umbrella organisations have since spearheaded the campaign, organising protests not only in Ladakh but also in J&K and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, calling for shutdowns on multiple occasions. 

Main demands: 

• Full-fledged legislature: The LAB and KDA have demanded the government extend Ladakh’s territorial control up to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and demanded reservation of seats for the area. 

• The constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule: For constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, has served as a major rallying point, with the LAB and KDA urging the government to grant special status to Ladakh on the lines of Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and other northeastern States. 

• • The Schedule protects tribal populations and provides autonomy to the communities through autonomous development councils. 
  • The councils are empowered to legislate on issues of land, agriculture, forests, village administration, inheritance of property, public health, marriage and divorce, etc. 
  • This assumes significance considering nearly 80% of Ladakh’s total population of 2.74 lakh are tribals.

• Separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts: Activists and leaders of the socio-political bodies are demanding an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats from one to two (one each for Kargil and Leh) to ensure representation of Ladakhis in Parliament and a full-fledged elected legislature.

• Job reservations for locals: Adding to the unrest is rising employment in the region. The UT recorded a sharp rise in the number of unemployed graduates between 2021-22 and 2022-23. A government survey last year pointed out that 26.5% of graduates in Ladakh are unemployed. 

• The separation from Jammu and Kashmir shrunk the region’s share in the State pool, and the Centre has also failed to create new avenues for the locals in the past four years. 
• As a result, the disillusioned youth has taken to the streets, demanding reservation and a separate public service commission for recruitment of gazetted jobs.

How has the Centre responded? 

• The government has not shown keen interest in granting full Statehood and special status to Ladakh, but rising discontent in the region and a wave of protests forced the Centre to set up a committee in January 2023 to probe the matter. 
• The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that the UT administration was already taking care of overall socio-economic development, and sufficient funds have been provided for the region’s overall development. 
• However, amid rising unrest in the region, the government set up the panel and assured protesters that it would look for an appropriate solution to issues related to language, culture and land.
• The panel was reconstituted following a disagreement over its composition and agenda. The high-powered committee held its first meeting in December, after it was empowered to examine the demand for constitutional safeguards for the region. 
• While representatives of the LHA and KDA sought an early resolution of their issues, the Ministry urged the leaders not to hold protests while the official talks were on. 

Way forward:

• In order to support socio-economic development and cultural preservation in the area, the government should make sure that more efforts are made for inclusive local governance, increased autonomy, and focused policy initiatives.
• It is recommended that the administration have substantive discussions with the many parties engaged in the demonstrations, such as local community members from Ladakh, political figures, and civil society organizations.
• A careful and methodical approach should be used to decide Ladakh's position under the Sixth Schedule, given the intricacy of the matter and the variety of interests at stake.

Conclusion:

In order to successfully preserve the interests of the region and solve security problems, the government can increase local ownership and involvement by guaranteeing that the people of Ladakh have a say in decision-making processes, especially those pertaining to security and governance.