The Union Territory of Ladakh has been seeking protections for its unique culture, language, and way of life for the past three years. In response, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently established a high-powered committee, chaired by the Minister of State for Home, to address these concerns and discuss issues related to the empowerment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill District Councils.
Background
- The demand for protections in Ladakh began in 2019, when the special status of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked. This led to fears that big businesses and conglomerates would take away land and jobs from the local people, who are predominantly tribal.
- In response, the Peoples Movement for Constitutional Safeguard under the Sixth Schedule (also known as the Apex Body) was formed in Leh, with the goal of seeking inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
- This schedule, outlined in Article 244, provides for the creation of autonomous development councils that can make laws on land, public health, and agriculture, with the goal of protecting the autonomy of tribal populations.
- There are currently ten such councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
- The Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) from the districts of Leh and Kargil joined forces to demand constitutional safeguards for the region. In 2020, they threatened to boycott the district autonomous council elections unless their demands were met.
- After a meeting with the Home Minister, they called off the boycott and were promised that discussions would begin after the elections. However, members of the new MHA committee have stated that the order establishing the committee does not mention the primary demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
- The Apex Body and KDA have scheduled a meeting in Jammu on January 7 to discuss their next steps.
The Sixth Schedule
- The Sixth Schedule, as previously mentioned, provides for the creation of autonomous development councils in certain regions with predominantly tribal populations.
- These councils have the authority to make laws on a variety of issues, including land, public health, and agriculture, with the goal of protecting the autonomy and cultural traditions of these communities.
Government Response
- The MHA has stated that it is not interested in granting any special status to Ladakh, and has informed a parliamentary standing committee that the UT administration is already taking steps to ensure the overall socio-economic development of the tribal population.
- The MHA has also provided sufficient funds to Ladakh to meet its developmental needs. In fact, a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha in December 2022 stated that the Ladakh administration had recently increased the reservation for Scheduled Tribes in direct recruitment from 10% to 45%.
The MHA’s recent decision to establish a committee to address the concerns of Ladakh’s tribal population is a positive step forward. However, the committee’s mandate does not address the primary demand for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, which has been a key demand of civil society groups in the region for the past three years. It remains to be seen how the committee’s discussions will address the issue of protecting Ladakh’s unique culture, language, and way of life, as well as ensuring the protection of land and employment for the people of Ladakh.
