Ladakh's Struggle for Statehood

Ladakh's Protests and Demands

• Ladakh has seen significant protests regarding statehood and preserving its identity since 2019.
• Protesters are demanding Ladakh's statehood to be reinstated after it was made a union territory without a legislature in 2019.
• In 2019, the government of India declared that Jammu and Kashmir would lose its statehood and become a Union Territory.
• This change was made along with an amendment to Article 370, which removed Jammu and Kashmir's special rights.

Consequences of Union Territory Status

• As a Union Territory, Ladakh does not have a representation of its own in governance.
• The region faces difficulties due to its fragile terrain and vulnerability to climate change.
• Central Government policies have led to issues like water scarcity, depletion of glaciers, and increased tourism in Ladakh.

Demands and Key Figures

• The people of Ladakh are demanding to be included in the 6th schedule of the constitution, which provides exceptional freedom to make laws for themselves with minimal central government interference.
• Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer and education reformer from Ladakh, is seeking autonomy for Ladakh and highlighting the damage to the Himalayan region's fragile ecology and glaciers.
• Wangchuk is also demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule implementation for Ladakh.

Governance and Representation

• UTs like New Delhi and Puducherry have their own Legislative Assemblies.
• Article 239 to 241 in Part VIII of the Constitution deals with Union Territories.
• The region had four representatives in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the erstwhile state of J&K.
• Currently, Ladakh has a single Lok Sabha constituency.