A confrontation between the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and the Jammu and Kashmir government over the hoisting of national flag on August 15 has brought to the surface serious cracks the relationship between the body and the state government.
While the national flag was hoisted at Leh in an official function by state tourism minister Ajat Shatru Singh, LAHDC chief executive councillor Thupstan Chewang presided at a parallel function. Traders, elders and local people attended the function organised by the LAHDC.
This development is being viewed there with serious concern by the ruling National Conference. Party members believe that regionalism in Leh is being fanned by Congress leaders under directions from Mufti Mohammad Syed.
While Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is tight-lipped on the issue, his partymen are disgusted with that they call Congress being back at its old games. In past also there has been simmering discontent between Srinagar and Leh, the latter accusing the ruling party of ignoring the interests of the people of Ladakh.
The trouble appears to have snowballed into an open confrontation between the LAHDC and the Farooq Abdullah government. If our friends in the Congress prefer to ignore the greater interest of the state for narrow political aims by fanning regional sentiments in Ladakh it could well amount to advocating a division of the state on the pattern demanded by some separatist leaders.
The people of Kargil district in Ladakh region are finding themselves sandwiched between the two. We have never supported separatist movement and have always been supporters of a united J&K, but if that does not suit LAHDC then there is to be division within Ladakh itself, says a Muslim leader of Kargil when contacted to comment on the developments in Leh.
On their part, National Conference leaders here believe that the trouble in Leh always surfaces up when we come to power. Our government has been the biggest advocate of grant of Scheduled Tribe status for residents of Ladakh region and also for an equitable allocation of developmental funds. The common man in that region does not realise that he is being used by a certain political party to make our functioning difficult. On one hand we are pitched against separatism challenging the integrity of the country and on the other hand, our adversaries within Pro-India camp are stoking fires of separatism in Ladakh, said a senior ruling party minister.
