PEOPLE OF LADAKH 

People of Ladakh are going through a very tough situation prevailing in the region. From pandemic to standoff with PLA and with zero tourism during the summers it is a curry of disaster for the common people. Pre August 5, 2019, Ladakh was brimming with tourism and the government decided to go for a massive clampdown and it impacted the economy of this region also.

Though at the initial stage people of Leh especially the Buddhist celebrated the abrogation of article 370, and felt that their long cherished dream was being realized when the central government carved out a separate union territory of Ladakh when it downgraded the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. After months of waiting, people of Leh realized that all the powers were with the bureaucrats and even their elected LAHDC was not able to do any good to the common people without the approval of bureaucrats.

The Kargil area was already not interested in the union territory status and they held protests like the people of Kashmir for several days. People of Kargil have finally decided through their united public platform to be the part of Kashmir struggling for the restoration of article 370 and are not interested in any safeguards being promised by the central government for the people of Ladakh as union territory.

People of Leh also realized after a year that they were being disempowered and before the fresh LAHDC elections they made a united political platform and before participating in these elections got the assurances from the Union Home Minister that they would be soon getting special status on the pattern of article 370 to safeguard their distinct identity and culture along with land and jobs.