Ladakh's leaders urge Centre to declare it tribal area to protect its identity

Prominent leaders of Ladakh on Saturday made a fervent appeal to the Centre to declare the region a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its identity.

In a memorandum to Union minister Arjun Munda, Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said Ladakh is a predominantly tribal area with tribals making up to 98 percent of its population.

"After the Centre announced its decision to make Ladakh a Union Territory, the biggest concern of the tribal population here is to protect their identity, culture, land, and economy," he said.

Namgyal appealed to the Union tribal affairs minister to declare it a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the interests of its people.

Based on Articles 244(2) and 275(1), the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, comprising of 21 separate articles, provide for adminstration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, after setting up autonomous distrct and regional councils.

"I appeal to you to make a representation to Home Minister Amit Shah on our behalf to protect the demography and culture of Ladakh," he said.

"Under the Jammu and Kashmir government, many tribal schemes could not be implemented in Ladakh. Scholarships, hostels, and schools for tribals... not much development work took place here under tribal sub-plans," the local MP said.

At the launch of an Aadi Mahotsav edition on Saturday evening, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) chairman Gyal P Wangyal said their only demand is that Ladakh be brought under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution so that our land remains protected.

J&K Legislative Council chairman Haji Anayat Ali also met the tribal affairs minister and discussed issues related to the land acquisition, job reservation and other concerns of the youths of Ladakh.

Addressing the tribal festival, Munda said, "I have got to know that tribals make up to 95 to 97 percent of Ladakh's population and I promise you that we will do whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them."