Defence committee seeks creation of Ladakh Regiment

The incursions in Kargil took place as Pakistan had been losing the `proxy war’ in Jammu and Kashmir, Advani said at the function titled `Jo Shahid Huye Hain Unki Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani’, held to pay tribute to the Kargil martyrs.

Advani was presented a five-point memorandum by the `Defence District Committee’, which demanded creation of a Ladakh Regiment.

The memorandum wanted the Ladakh Scouts to be converted into a full-fledged regiment so that the country’s border in remote and sensitive areas could be defended.

"The recent conflict has shown theindispensability of the Ladakh Scouts," it said.

It demanded that the Centre announce a matching ex-gratia of Rs five lakh, besides the Rs five lakh being given to the families of the Ladakh Scouts by the state government.

"Twenty one soldiers from Ladakh Scouts gave up their lives. Compared to the small population of Ladakh, our sacrifices have been of the highest order," the memorandum said.

Among other demands it listed construction of an alternative all-weather road across the 17,500 ft high Pangla Pass, connecting Leh with Piti valley in Himachal Pradesh.

The recent Pakistani misadventure in Kargil has shown the vulnerability of the Leh-Srinagar road, it said.

The proposed road would save crores of rupees to the defence exchequer which otherwise spent a great deal on air-lifting logistics for the armed forces in Ladakh in winter.

The memorandum also demanded setting up of a Sainik school in Ladakh and a CBI inquiry into the arms cache recovery at Turtuk and arrest of 23 suspected militantsfrom the area.