Leh: This Independence Day, the Bhartiya Janta Party led Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, appears to be headed for a confrontation with the Center, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal guardian department of the Union Territories.
Even as by planning a separate Independence Day event the LAHDC Leh headed by senior BJP leader Tashi Gyalson has picked up cudgels with the Union Territory administration but the message is intended at the Union Home Ministry. A dialogue between different groups of Ladakh and the Home Ministry is stuck up for months with no headway in sight.
In a surprise move, the Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Leh, Tashi Gyalson has called a meeting of all district level officers to discuss preparations for the Independence Day function. Following the formation of the Union Territory, the main function of national days -Independence Day and Republic Day -is a domain of the Union Territory administration.
The Lieutenant Governor, as in case of all Union Territories, and Governor in case of the States, happens to be the chief executive and hence the designated authority to unfurl national flag, inspect parade and take salute on Republic Day. Chief Ministers do the same on Independence Day events. However, in the Union Territories without legislature the Lieutenant Governors are the chief dignitaries on both events.
Though the District level authorities and autonomous bodies, such as hill councils, are free to organize national day ceremonies but these are symbolic and separate from the main events, not a parallel activity.
On Friday, August 5, when Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir completed three years of being two separate Union Territories, Leh CEC’s office issued a ‘memo’ to 27 district level officers including Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police. The memo letter said that the CEC has called a meeting on August 8 ‘regarding Independence Day Celebration at NDS stadium”.
As it has happened on August 15, 2020 and 2021, since the formation of Union Territory, this year too the main and official Independence Day event of the UT is scheduled to be held at the iconic Polo Ground where the Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur is supposed to unfurl the national flag.
However, the Hill Council has clear plans of holding a separate and parallel event. This may be an awkward moment for the UT administration to deal with but the message is clearly intended for the Union Home Minister.
It may be mentioned that on August 3, the LAHDC Leh Councilors issued a press statement in which they concluded by demanding further empowerment of the Hill Councils. The press statement came even after the UT administration issues guidelines for stepped up protocol and courtesies for the LAHDC Councilors.
