Leh: After their five-year-long struggle seeking local empowerment and constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory, the developments in past five weeks finally seem to have brought the intended results for the social-political leaders of Ladakh spearheading negotiations with the Centre.
The latest in this series, the two-day visit of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to Leh has proved to be a major shot in the arm of Ladakhi leaders, such as Thupstan Chhewang, who have been able to get from New Delhi, what they have been demanding, for Ladakh.
Over the last five weeks since their May 27 meeting with MHA’s High-Powered Committee, New Delhi has rolled out a number of key decisions for the Cold Desert—from reserving 85% jobs for locals to introduction of domicile policy which would be implemented prospectively, from defining reservation quota among categories to 33% quota for women in the LAHDCs—all of these welcomed by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—the twin Ladakh bodies representing the region.
While the Centre had announced five new districts for Ladakh last year, the declaration of natively spoken Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh, along with high-profile ministerial visits to Ladakh in June have been widely welcomed across the region.
The recent visit of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, which was marked by a number of crucial policy decisions being cleared, has definitely resulted in enhanced credibility and increased respect among the people of Ladakh, for these Ladakhi leaders who negotiated with New Delhi for the same.
While New Delhi was always attentive to Ladakh, courtesy its association with the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakhi leaders such as Thupstan Chhewang who quit their comfortable MP offices for the vision of an empowered Ladakh, have truly made the Centre take notice of the Cold Desert.
Over the years, these leaders have ensured an enhanced and personal attention of the Narendra Modi government towards the public affairs of the Union Territory of Ladakh, even as top ministers have now started to visit the region, once ignored by all.
Besides the ministerial visits, several high-ranking officers from the central government ministries, corporations and boards are holding regular interactions in the region to deepen a personal connection with the people and give impetus to the developmental process.
The latest in this series was Union Home Secretary, Govind Mohan, who accompanied by a number of senior officials, arrived in Leh on a two-day visit earlier this week.
With a number of key policy decisions aimed at finalizing the terms negotiated by Ladakhi leaders cleared in this period, Mohan’s visit was a major shot in the arm for them.
On Sunday, the eve of Mohan’s arrival, the UT administration notified a fresh recruitment and reservation policy with the issuance of the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Rules to restructure reservation quotas and recruitment procedures in alignment with the Central legislations.
These amended rules provide for 80% reservations for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 1% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 4% for residents of areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC) and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), in direct recruitment, Ladakh Chief Secretary Dr Pawan Kotwal said, adding that these revised rules aim to update the legal terminology, restructure reservation quotas and streamline the roster and recruitment procedures.
To ensure that every eligible candidate gets to benefit, the UT administration on Sunday also notified 52 revenue villages as Areas Adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC).
On Monday, as he landed in Leh, Mohan’s itinerary had an unusual appointment: a meeting with the Leh Apex Body (LAB). Mohan’s 30 minutes meeting with the senior leaders of the LAB led by its chairman Thupstan Chhewang was held in a cordial environment.
As Thupstan Chhewang stressed the need for immediate holding of next meeting between the MHA and Ladakh leaders (LAB and KDA), Mohan agreed. The two parties are now scheduled for a Core Group meeting soon, including senior officers of the MHA, 3 leaders each from LAB and KDA, CECs of LAHDCs Leh and Kargil along with Ladakh Chief Secretary.
Mohan, in his other meetings also, asserted that New Delhi has already come true on a lot of promises made to the leaders of Ladakh at the negotiation table and remained committed towards fulfilling the remaining ones.
As his attention was invited towards the issue of gazetted officers’ recruitment pending for the last 5 years, Mohan also directed the UT administration to complete the process for recruitment of Gazetted Officers.
Considering UPSC has finalised its recruitment drive for 2025, Mohan also assured that he would take up the matter with UPSC chairman for a special recruitment drive for Ladakh.
True to his commitment, soon after Mohan boarded the flight to Delhi, the UT administration announced five years age relaxation for Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ gazetted cadre posts for the recruitment to be conducted during the years 2025 and 2026.
Truly, Mohan’s visit was a real shot in the arm for the Ladakhi leaders, as reflected by common Ladakhis on the ground.
Speaking to Indus Dispatch, several young men and women acknowledge New Delhi’s outreach to Ladakh, while expressing faith in the representatives of Ladakh who have been spearheading the dialogue with Delhi.
“Our representatives, led by Thupstan Chhewang, have been fighting for the empowerment of Ladakh for decades. While LAB and KDA have been struggling… after 2020, selfless and honest leaders like Thupstan Chhewang have been at the forefront of this fight for the last 50 years,” said a local in Leh.
“Away from the noise, the leaders have been working for a better tomorrow for all of us. As we have seen in the last one month or so, more will come for Ladakh in the days to come,” he added.
