Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: Perturbed over the continuous unrest in Valley the, senior BJP leader and MP from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang has reiterated the demand for grant of Union Territory status to Ladakh with a legislature and abrogation of Article 370.
Mr Chhewang today submitted a memorandum to Prime Minster, Narendra Modi in this regard, the copies of which were also forwarded to Union Home Minster, Defence Minster, national President BJP, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Congress president and other Cabinet ministers as well Chief Minster of the State, Deputy CM and other BJP leaders at national and State level in which he strongly advocated for grant of UT status to the Ladakh region.
The memorandum said “there is a widespread feeling in the world at large that we are part of a confused narrative concerning our sensitive border State., The Valley continues to be rocked by mindless violence for nearly two months now’’, it added.
“It said the reality is that we in Ladakh are perhaps the only constituent of J&K which lives in total peace and harmony unwavering in its conviction that there has be strong administrative and emotional integration with rest of the country’’,. We believe that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, guarantying special status to the State, should be abrogated without further delay’’, the memorandum added.
The memorandum further suggested various other measures as have been implemented in some other states like North East to preserve local, social, cultural and linguistic characteristics of three regions of Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu.
The memorandum said the people of Ladakh feel stifled at the moment because of present ongoing senseless violence in a part of the State. Administratively Ladakh is part of Kashmir Division and any happening in any part of it is a matter of deep concern to the people of the Region. Expressing concern over the plight of people of Ladakh who have been neglected, the memorandum said that it is shocking that the Ladakhis have not been involved in any debate or discussion, concerning impasse in Valley. This is despite the region has one elected MP, about half a dozen of legislators and two powerful councils for local governance in the twin districts of Leh and Kargil.
The memorandum said “if the people at helm think that Ladakhis are “separatists’’ and hence we can be ignored then let it be so’’,. “Let them think so as we want to secede from J&K for an unambiguous relationship with our great nation as we have nothing with those who want to secede from India’’, it further added.
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