PM urged to hasten grant of UT status
31/12/07 09:30 Filed in:Ladakh news
PM urged to hasten grant of UT
status
New Delhi, Monday, December 24, 2007
Stating that a reign of terror had been let loose by the State Government in Leh, a delegation of the Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, here today to expedite granting Union Territory status to Ladakh.
Members of the delegation flew into the national capital from Leh to apprise the Prime Minister about the latest developments in their trans-Himalayan region.
The Prime Minister spent about several minutes with them giving a patient hearing.
Led by Mr Thupstan Chhewang, MP and LUTF President, the delegation also beseeched the Prime Minister to include the Bhoti language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and open the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage through Leh.
It pointed out that Bhoti was spoken by almost all inhabitants of border Himalayan regions in the country. The elevation of the language would boost their “confidence and self-esteem.” The opening of Leh route for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra wouldl usher in prosperity in Ladah. It would also make the journey smoother compared to its present arduous passage through Uttarakhand, the delegation said.
Making a strong case for UT, the delegation pointed out that the Congress-led State Government was treating the duly-elected Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC-Leh) with utter contempt. It stated: “A reign of terror and repression has been let loose against us by the Congress-led State Government in Jammu and Kashmir. The police has been set upon on us as a clearly pre-meditated strategy to browbeat us into submission.”
It referred in this regard to the forcible closure of the headquarters of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), framing of false criminal including murder and attempt to murder charges against its office-bearers, police assault on an elected LUTF councillor, disrespect being shown to the Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC and a campaign of calumny against the LUTF chief.
The delegation asserted: “We are constrained to seek existence with honour because the Congress-led State Government keeps adding salt to our wounds. Its latest actions against us are not only brutal but an affront to human dignity and conscience.”
It brought to the Prime Minister’s notice: “Sometimes we debate among ourselves whether grassroots democracy can truly succeed in our State. It was after a long struggle that we had achieved the formation of the LAHDC as the first major step towards attaining the Union Territory. We thought that the Council would help us govern our affairs at least to some extent. This has not happened.
“We continue to be deprived of many financial and legislative powers. Our experience has been worse with key police and administrative officials remote-controlled from Srinagar. They hardly show any appreciation of basic tenets of democracy and our distinct and unique ethnic and linguistic identity. How can policemen or bureaucrats be allowed to ride roughshod over a democratic dispensation? How can they treat our social and religious organisations with utter contempt? Their wrong-doings have strengthened our resolve to keep striving for Union Territory for we want to strengthen what we regard as our umbilical chord with New Delhi.”
The members of the delegation were: Mr Tsering Dorjay, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomos Hill Development Council (LeH). Mr Sonam Wangchuk Norboo, MLA, Nubra, Mr Tsering Angdus and Mr Tsewang Tondup (Councillors), Mr Lobzang Nyantak (senior LUTF leader), Mr Dorjey Stanzin, Mr Stanzin Delik, Mr Tsering Angchuk, Mr Jigmet Namgyal, Mr Sonam Tsering, Mr Nawang Norboo, Mr Chotar Tsering, Mr Tsering Paldan, Mr Tondup Spalzang, Mr Phunchok Stanzin,, Mr Sonam Dorjey and Mr Dorjey Namgyal (all councillors).
They reached here this afternoon after holding a mammoth public meeting in Leh to seek public endorsement of their stand.
Reproduced with the kind permission of The Magpie
A supporting story to the one above can be found in the Daily Excelsior archive
New Delhi, Monday, December 24, 2007
Stating that a reign of terror had been let loose by the State Government in Leh, a delegation of the Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) urged the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, here today to expedite granting Union Territory status to Ladakh.
Members of the delegation flew into the national capital from Leh to apprise the Prime Minister about the latest developments in their trans-Himalayan region.
The Prime Minister spent about several minutes with them giving a patient hearing.
Led by Mr Thupstan Chhewang, MP and LUTF President, the delegation also beseeched the Prime Minister to include the Bhoti language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and open the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage through Leh.
It pointed out that Bhoti was spoken by almost all inhabitants of border Himalayan regions in the country. The elevation of the language would boost their “confidence and self-esteem.” The opening of Leh route for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra wouldl usher in prosperity in Ladah. It would also make the journey smoother compared to its present arduous passage through Uttarakhand, the delegation said.
Making a strong case for UT, the delegation pointed out that the Congress-led State Government was treating the duly-elected Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC-Leh) with utter contempt. It stated: “A reign of terror and repression has been let loose against us by the Congress-led State Government in Jammu and Kashmir. The police has been set upon on us as a clearly pre-meditated strategy to browbeat us into submission.”
It referred in this regard to the forcible closure of the headquarters of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), framing of false criminal including murder and attempt to murder charges against its office-bearers, police assault on an elected LUTF councillor, disrespect being shown to the Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC and a campaign of calumny against the LUTF chief.
The delegation asserted: “We are constrained to seek existence with honour because the Congress-led State Government keeps adding salt to our wounds. Its latest actions against us are not only brutal but an affront to human dignity and conscience.”
It brought to the Prime Minister’s notice: “Sometimes we debate among ourselves whether grassroots democracy can truly succeed in our State. It was after a long struggle that we had achieved the formation of the LAHDC as the first major step towards attaining the Union Territory. We thought that the Council would help us govern our affairs at least to some extent. This has not happened.
“We continue to be deprived of many financial and legislative powers. Our experience has been worse with key police and administrative officials remote-controlled from Srinagar. They hardly show any appreciation of basic tenets of democracy and our distinct and unique ethnic and linguistic identity. How can policemen or bureaucrats be allowed to ride roughshod over a democratic dispensation? How can they treat our social and religious organisations with utter contempt? Their wrong-doings have strengthened our resolve to keep striving for Union Territory for we want to strengthen what we regard as our umbilical chord with New Delhi.”
The members of the delegation were: Mr Tsering Dorjay, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomos Hill Development Council (LeH). Mr Sonam Wangchuk Norboo, MLA, Nubra, Mr Tsering Angdus and Mr Tsewang Tondup (Councillors), Mr Lobzang Nyantak (senior LUTF leader), Mr Dorjey Stanzin, Mr Stanzin Delik, Mr Tsering Angchuk, Mr Jigmet Namgyal, Mr Sonam Tsering, Mr Nawang Norboo, Mr Chotar Tsering, Mr Tsering Paldan, Mr Tondup Spalzang, Mr Phunchok Stanzin,, Mr Sonam Dorjey and Mr Dorjey Namgyal (all councillors).
They reached here this afternoon after holding a mammoth public meeting in Leh to seek public endorsement of their stand.
Reproduced with the kind permission of The Magpie
A supporting story to the one above can be found in the Daily Excelsior archive