Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 12: Accusing previous State Governments of Jammu and Kashmir for ignoring Ladakh in all spheres since 1947, Union Minister, of Sports, Kiren Rijiju today said that the last year’s decision of Narendra Modi led Government at Centre has saved the identity and existence of Ladakh and Ladakhis.
Addressing the election meetings in Thiksay, Chushot and Upper Leh constituencies of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh today, Rijiju lashed out at previous Governments of J&K who ruled the erstwhile State about seven decades of not showing any interest in the development of Ladakh and welfare of its people.
“The successive Governments in J&K since 1947 showed no interest towards this hilly and backward region as they know that three MLAs and one MP has no value for them”, he said, adding. “This way Ladakh had lost its identity and existence and it was not a familiar place across the world also as the erstwhile State was only known as Jammu and Kashmir”.
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“The Ladakh had lost its identity over the years due to the discriminatory approach of the previous rulers of J&K but now the case is not the same as Modi Government changed the nomenclature of the entire J&K and Ladakh was given its due place”, he said. “Now Ladakh is a separate Pradesh. It is a Union Territory and this is not a small thing for you. Your long cherished dream has been fulfilled by PM, Narendra Modi and you were made masters of your own fate” he added.
Rijiju said “had Ladakh not been given UT status by Modi Government the identity and existence of the region and its people was in danger and the distinct culture in which the people of the region take pride would have been diluted. But Modi Government protected this all”.
The Union Minister said now Ladakh is a separate Pradesh at par with J&K and it will march on the path of progress and development in coming time to which BJP Government at Delhi is fully committed.
While addressing the election meetings, he assured the people of the region that Government is also committed to give constitutional guarantees to the people of the region for protection of their identity, culture, ethnicity, jobs, land etc and there are no two thoughts about it.
All the demands of the people of the Himlalayan region will be solved, he said, adding that when a new house is built it takes some time in settling the things properly. He said the sign board of Ladakh was changed as earlier it was two districts forming the part of J&K now it is a separate Pradesh with UT status at par with J&K.
He, however said that due to COVID Pandemic disturbance was created and there was delay in implementation of decisions and taking some rapid steps for the development of the region.
Exuding confidence that BJP will emerge victorious in October 22 elections to LAHDC, Leh, Rijuju said that the party will make far better performance this time than last elections of 2015 both in shape of seats and vote percentage. The party will get a good support from the people of Leh in the ensuing elections this time, he added.
While referring to demands of the people, the Minister said that it is human nature that demands never end. He said there are two type of demands one is infrastructural development like construction of roads, drinking water supply as well as water for irrigation, good number of schools, colleges, electricity, mobile net work and another type of development is social and cultural development like preservation of identity, language, culture, land etc and both are necessary for the prosperity and upliftment of the people of a region.
Rijiju said both kinds of these developments are interdependent and once there is best infrastructural development like good network of roads, electricity, water supply but the culture and identity is eroded, it can’t be called the development. Likewise if the culture and identity is preserved but there is no infrastructural development that is also useless. Hence Modi Government’s thrust will be on both types of the developments in this region for the prosperity and better future of the people of Ladakh as a whole.
The election meetings, besides the respective candidates of the constituencies were also addressed by the senior leaders of the region.
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