Hunger strike called off by Ladakh leaders as Centre agrees to discuss demands

Leh: The leaders of civil society groups demanding statehood for Ladakh have called off their hunger strike, which was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, after the Centre promised to hear their demands, according to The Hindu.

Thupstan Chhewang, a former Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Ladakh, and educationist Sonam Wangchuk declared an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday to push for statehood for the Union territory, safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts, a recruitment process, and a separate Public Service Commission for the region, Scroll.in reported.

The Constitution's Sixth Schedule ensures land protection and nominal autonomy for the country's tribal areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population is from Scheduled Tribes, whereas Kargil is predominantly Muslim.

Earlier this month, Ladakh experienced a near-complete lockdown as the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance organised the "Leh chalo [march to Leh]" protest. The two civil society groups have been advocating for Ladakh's statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, among other things.

A Union home ministry committee decided on Monday to hold a meeting on February 24 to examine the protesting groups' requests, according to The Hindu.

The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have announced the formation of a joint sub-committee to discuss matters with the Centre.

“All members of the sub-committee are in Delhi and we look forward to fruitful discussions at the next meeting,” they said in a statement on Monday. “In view of this significant development we have decided to drop for the time being our plan to go on hunger strike from tomorrow [Tuesday].”

Wangchuk told PTI that a public gathering will be held in Leh on February 26 to "either thank the government for accepting the demands of the people of Ladakh or go on a fast unto death in case the talks fail."

On August 5, 2019, the Union government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and divided the state into two Union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

As Ladakh lost its unique status, the autonomy of its powerful hill councils in Leh and Kargil dwindled as they felt disregarded by the bureaucracy and the Centre. Hill councils were established in the Ladakh region in the mid-1990s and early 2000s in response to a repeated demand from the region's citizens, who felt disregarded by the power centre in Kashmir.

People in the Union territory have also felt overlooked in the process of deciding on what kinds of development projects are approved, given the delicate ecosystem.