Ladakh, Aug 05 (KNO): A year after the abrogation of article 370, a top Buddhist leader Wednesday said that Ladakh Union Territory still caves for 6th schedule that guarantees safety of land and identity protection to the region.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Ladakh’s prominent Buddhist leader and congress party’s senior leader, Rigzin Spalbar, said only the provisions of 6th schedule will guarantee the safety of Ladakh and if it's not granted, the region will lose its land, identity and heritage it holds for so many years now. “Our main demand was union territory status with the legislature. But the center has so far failed to give us the legislature and the vocal demand for the safeguard of territory was also promised,” he said.
He said that in India, constitutional protections have been given at many places across India. “The 6th schedule as per the local population and leaders will deem fit as 99 percent of the Ladakhis are tribal and to protect the interest of tribals especially their identity, 6th schedule like in eastern India on a similar pattern will guarantee the safety of land, trade and the councils will get legislative power,” he said, adding that, “This is what we are demanding now.”
The top Buddhist leader said that if the protection isn’t given, there is no denying the fact that the private and non-tribal people will start buying land in Ladakh region. “Locals will sell out land and a royal person like Ambani will be able to buy the entire region that’s why the 6th schedule is important for the people only to restrict the non-tribals from buying property here,” Spalbar told KNO He said that it's true that people of Ladakh are happy with union territory (UT) status but it will take some more time to streamline and normalize things.
“The China’s move in eastern Ladakh has hampered the normal go and then came the pandemic that has restricted the entire process of development. If we see practically one complete year has not passed since the UTs came into force on 31st October last year,” he said. “There is a lot yet to be done but we must give the government one benefit of doubt only because of the tensions in the region with China and this ongoing pandemic."
He said that Ladakh has its own tradition, culture, heritage, background and identity. “This should matter. We should not only work for the physical aspect only rather everything that matters to ladakh and its people,” he said. About the India-china violent faceoff post abrogation of article 370, he said that the border between both the countries is too vast. “China has been encroaching the land for so many years now but this time media gave it a hype,”—(KNO)