Livid in Ladakh
THE WEEK India|July 31, 2022
Three years after Ladakh became a Union territory, its people are not happy with the Centre’s promises; the Dalai Lama’s visit could break the ice
TARIQ BHAT
Livid in Ladakh

ON JULY 15, the Dalai Lama began a month-long tour of Ladakh. The visit, his first outside Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh since the start of the pandemic, comes at a time when Ladakh is locked in a standoff with the Centre over the demand for constitutional safeguards to preserve its identity, culture and land.

Ladakh became a Union territory when Article 370 was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was cut into two Union territories on August 5, 2019. The Buddhist majority Leh district had welcomed the move, but the Muslim majority Kargil had denounced it. The excitement in Leh, however, waned after it was announced that Ladakh would have no assembly and the administration would be in the hands of bureaucrats, many of them outsiders, and the lieutenant governor.

In the past two years, Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai have met representatives of Leh and Kargil, but their promises have not satisfied the Ladakhi leaders. The visit of the Dalai Lama could break the ice as he is revered by both the Buddhists and the Indian government.

During his stopover in Jammu, the 87-year-old Nobel Peace prize winner said that he was not seeking independence but “meaningful autonomy for Tibet and ensuring preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture.”

He was talking about Tibet, but the message was in sync with the demands of Ladakhi Buddhists— they wanted a Bodoland Territorial Council-like arrangement under the sixth schedule (of the Constitution) to protect their distinct identity from outsiders. The sixth schedule allows the restriction of land ownership and government jobs to residents of tribal areas.

Esta historia es de la edición July 31, 2022 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición July 31, 2022 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEK INDIAVer todo
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024