‘People in a state of deep disappointment and disillusionment’: Congress urges Centre to make ‘concrete and genuine efforts’ for Ladakh

Congress MP and in charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh, said that six years ago, when Ladakh was made a Union Territory, the people there had “great expectations”. “But today, the situation is completely different – people are in a state of deep disappointment and disillusionment,” said Ramesh, adding that the people’s “land and employment rights are in serious danger”.

“The local administration and elected bodies are completely under the control of the Lieutenant Governor and bureaucracy,” said Ramesh in a post on X.

He added that the people’s legitimate demands for protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and an elected legislature, “have only led to meetings, with no concrete decisions”. “The unilateral violation of the status quo by China along the Line of Actual Control and the clean chit given to China by the Prime Minister on June 19, 2020, have created significant uncertainty,” said Ramesh.

He said that Ladakh is extremely important for India from cultural, economic, ecological, and strategic perspectives. “The people of Ladakh have always been proud Indians at their core. Their pain and anguish should awaken the conscience of the Government of India – not only for more talks but for concrete and genuine efforts to fulfill their legitimate aspirations as soon as possible,” said the Congress MP.

Meanwhile, Congress Ladakh unit chief Nawang Rigzin Jora wrote to Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta, seeking a judicial inquiry into the killing of four young men Wednesday.