LEH; The Ladakh Buddhists Association (LBA) has decided to resume its agitation for pressing the Center to grant union territory status to Leh.
Talking to a group of visiting newsmen the Chairman, LBA Chewang Thupstan said the raw deal given to the people of Ladakh especially to Leh district by the Center had forced the association to resume its agitation which was suspended in 1989.
He said the LBA was aware of the serious situation in the Kashmir valley and it was for the Center to come up with interim measures for meeting the genuine demands of people of Leh. He said this could be done either by allowing the people to have an autonomous hill development council or regional hill council till the demand for union territory was conceded, He said during 1988-89 agitations, the LBA had demanded union territory status for the entire region of Ladakh. But since, the Muslim dominated Kargil district refused to cooperate with the LBA “we have decided to launch an agitation for UT status for Leh district”. He said the LBA had started a mass contact program for the proposed agitation so that the Center would grant scheduled area status for the district.
The LBA chief lamented over the anti-Leh and anti-Buddhist stance adopted by the successive National Conference state govts. He alleged that the chasm between the Buddhists and the Muslims had been caused by the “machi nation” of National Conference leaders. They carved out a separate Kargil district to divide the people of one region, he added. The LBA leaders wanted the govt to set up regional councils for Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1991
