A day after four people were killed in police firing in Leh during protests for statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards for Ladakh, which turned violent leading to torching of the BJP office, Independent Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh, Mohmad Haneefa, said Thursday that police firing was unwarranted and that there should be a fair probe into the violence and accountability fixed. In an interview with The Indian Express, Haneefa speaks on various Ladakh issues including the protesters’ demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule, which provides for self-governance in the administration of tribal areas through Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils. Excerpts:
How do you view the chain of events leading to violence, arson and killings in Leh?
We want peaceful resolution of our problems. We are known to be a peaceful society. The violence was very unfortunate. In our last talks three months ago, the Union Home Ministry had assured us that within a month the High-Powered Committee (HPC) for talks would meet us. But that (HPC) meeting was held very late and now (another) one will be on October 6. This is the first time that the Leh and Kargil populations have come together to protest. In the hunger strike, many fell ill and had to be hospitalised.
The youth here have been very frustrated for 4-5 years. Recruitments have not been happening. Our kids who were preparing for state-level exams were frustrated as those posts were no longer available. Under the previous Jammu and Kashmir state, our youth were getting ST (Scheduled Tribes) quota. They were going into gazetted jobs. Now that avenue is gone. There is no Ladakh PSC (Public Service Commission) now. Recently, district level advertisements have come via UPSC but recruitments have not begun. We also want a return to democracy here.
The Centre is saying that talks with Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance were on track but some individuals with vested interests provoked people, and that the hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk and others saw speeches flagging Gen Z uprising in Nepal and Arab Spring. What is your assessment?
There should be a probe on why police firing took place. They (police) could have controlled the crowd with batons. There should be a free and fair investigation, and those found responsible should be punished. If the government claims that violence was pre-planned and they knew about it, why did they allow it to happen? They should have shut down Leh. I don’t support the vandalism and attacks on offices. There should be a free and fair investigation.
Do you also hold Sonam Wangchuk partly responsible for the violence, as the Centre is suggesting?
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I do not agree with this. Sonam’s statements have always been for peaceful protests. The protests have always been peaceful here.
Why have there been demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh?
We are demanding that Ladakh be placed under the Sixth Schedule as we are a tribal society. We should be given statehood and there should be democracy here. It is true that funding has increased for Ladakh as a Union Territory, but bureaucrats are deciding how to spend the money. Article 370 had safeguards for us – we have lost all of it. Ladakh had constitutional safeguards under Articles 370 and 35 A before August 2019 (when these Articles were abrogated by the Centre).
The Centre has highlighted that it has increased reservation for Ladakh’s STs from 45 to 84%, and declared Bhoti and Purgi as official languages…
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What they are claiming are secondary demands. If we don’t have statehood and democracy, and are run by bureaucracy, what is the use? There is no local democratic participation of our people. We should decide policies applicable to us. We want a Legislature. There should be talks, and the Centre should reassure us.
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