Ladakh Seeks Independence From Kashmir =>Separatists want Kashmir’s secession from India, region’s leading mainstream political party National Conference wants restoration of autonomy to the state and main opposition People’s Democratic Party cries for self rule. But the remote northern desert region of Ladakh has its own concerns – it wants independence from Kashmir. The violence, involving militants and government forces, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the lush Kashmir Valley wins little sympathy from Ladakhis. And though their population of Buddhists and Muslims make up just below 3 percent of Jammu and Kashmir state, they are determined to assert the authority that goes with having more than three-fifths of its territory, albeit much of it uninhabitable. They want to be given their own status as a Union Territory within India, leaving Kashmiri separatists to pursue their revolt. Earlier this week the legislative council of the state has adopted a resolution for creating a separate division for Ladakh despite opposition from the government. “This august House resolves that in order to provide proper administration control over the largest region of Jammu and Kashmir, a separate Ladakh division may be created,” said Nurboo Gialchan, a member of Legislative council from Ladakh said while moving his resolution. “This is our right and I will press for the resolution. And I expect everyone in the House will support this resolution,” Gialchan added. Ladakh, a vast high-altitude desert overlooked by snow-capped Himalayan peaks, has long been used to living in the shadow of its bigger neighbours – China and Pakistan. In its heyday, its capital Leh attracted traders from Yarkand in China, Tibet and Kashmir, before wars with Pakistan and China left its borders firmly closed to the north and west and turned the attention of the Ladakhis south to New Delhi. For years Ladakhis complained about being discriminated by the Kashmiris who the ruled the state most of the time since 1947. “People of Ladakh region were facing incontinence for being with Kashmir division, because both the regions are hundreds of kilometers from each other. This kind of distance is the biggest hurdle in development in our region,” Gialchan said. Though Ladakh has been mostly insulated from militancy – it is cut off from Kashmir by snow for six to eight months of the year. “Our area has always been neglected and underdeveloped. People face problems because of larger distances between Kashmir and Ladakh. We remain cut off from rest of the Kashmir division for six months. This is our decades-old demand and time has come to give separate Ladakh division,” he said.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 07:14:55 +0000