Zanskar observes shut down as girl elopes with boy of other community

Zanskar Buddhist Association taking out protest march on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Morup Stanzin
Zanskar Buddhist Association taking out protest march on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Morup Stanzin

Excelsior Correspondent

KARGIL, Nov 30: As a young girl purportedly eloped with a youth of other community, Zanskar Buddhist Association took out a peace rally in Zanskar while the town observed shut down in protest against the incident, here today.
Zanskar Buddhist Association also served an ultimatum of 24-hours to the administration to bring back the girl failing which they would l agitate in more forceful manner. They also submitted a memorandum to Zanskar Sub Divisional Magistrate Sonam Dorjay to bring back the girl within 24 hours.
The 22- year old girl, resident of Salapi, reportedly eloped with guy of Padum Zanskar while an FIR 08/2021, under section 363, 376, 342 & 109 IPC has been registered in this connection at Police Station Padum Zanskar.
Newly elected Zanskar Buddhist Association President Passang Lhawang, in a telephonic conversion, said that this emerging trend in which young women belonging to Buddhist community are being continuously lured into marriage for the purpose of religious conversion is highly disturbing which in future may lead to communal tension in the region. He urged the UT Administration to introduce Anti-conversion law to avoid such practices and announced that Zanskar will remain shut down whole day on Wednesday to express anguish over the incident.
Anjuman Moin-Ul-Islam Zanskar President Ghulam Mehdin, when contacted on phone, said that it’s a personal matter of two families involved in it and Muslim community will extend support to the Buddhist community in Zanskar to put pressure on Administration to resolve the issue at earliest so that peace and communal harmony remain intact.
Meanwhile, Ladakh Buddhist Association Leh, in a letter to LG Ladakh, alleged that inter community forceful conversions through allured marriage in Ladakh have always triggered ill-fated communal riots in the past causing extensive damage to public and private properties. LBA Ladakh hoped that timely intervention of the administration and restoration of the girl to her family would avoid escalation of communal disturbances in the otherwise peaceful and co-existing society in the region.