Best of Ladakh to come by Gigantic Bifurcation

August 13, 2019November 30, 2020 Tietler

Ladakh is not just a piece of land …

A sensitive border area having strategic importance as surrounded by Pakistan as well as China. Interests of Ladakh are totally different from that of Kashmir but it was being subordinated with Kashmir for last 70 years. Their living style, their culture,their habits,their system of worship and many more reasons are different than habitats of Kashmir.

The territorial reality was that 82% of J&K was neither Jammu, nor Kashmir; it was Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan. Why would 15% people rule the rest of 85%?

The people of Ladakh, comprising a mix of Buddhists and Shia Muslims, had been weaken over the fact that their destiny was connected to Kashmir and unlucky fate is the region had to depend on the Valley-centered government of the state for finances for development. Under Kashmir’s rule, it suffered enormous cultural onslaught from fundamentalist organizations of the Valley.

After abrogation of various clauses of Article 370 of Constitution of India and its final declaration of UT, Ladakh feels liberated after 185 years of slavery and coercion. It was made to suffer on demographic deficiency. The amalgamation with the J&K made them voiceless, voiceless in developmental activities as political challenges in the Kashmir Valley took precedence in decision making irrespective of the point that Ladakh has been peaceful.

The merging of two distinct empires has been long ignored in every aspect, be it administrative, development, political affairs, tourism industry , security and so on. The entire focus is always been Kashmir and some times on Jammu. State government disbursed funds based on population density as well as caste and vote biases which led to practically no infrastructure development in the Leh-Kargil area. Natives of Ladakh knew that they were being ignored.

Ladakh always faced discrimination and step-motherly treatment from successive governments in the past in funding shares and employment.
For Ladakh…
Why there is need of Center intervention?

Inaccessibility and remoteness: Ladakh remains cut off from rest of India for around six months due to snowfall and lack of proper roadways. Air travel is the only mode of transport. Also, with a very low population and inhospitable terrain, the region has always been isolated. This Inaccessibility and remoteness have led to the creation of Ladakh as a separate division.

Different Culture: More than 90 % of the population is Buddhist. Their living style, their culture, their habits, their languages, their system of worship and many more reasons are different from the residence of Kashmir.

India’s national security: It has cost the nation heavily thus far while keeping such a vast strategic frontier area in the hands of separatist-oriented Valley leadership. India’s old-fashion statecraft failed to check both China and Pakistan from eating into the state’s territory. Over 55% of the state’s 222,236 sq km of J&K was occupied either by China or Pakistan. Also, India’s tagging of Ladakh to J&K underscores its lack of strategic clarity.

Two wars with Pakistan and three decades of insurgency, the BJP government wants to close the ‘issue’ in the Muslim majority state of Jammu & Kashmir. ||| UT formation is solution|||

Economics of non-utilization: Water potentials have not even been thought of. Its colossal Indus water resources of Zanskar, Dras, Shayok tributaries only benefit Pakistani farmers in Punjab and Sind. India did nothing to harness the water flow. Only 5% of arid land is irrigated.

Belt and Road Plan: The region’s unique geographical location gives India a chance to think about its own ‘Belt and Road’ plan. Its unique geographical location should offer India a huge counter-offensive potential in terms of leveraging connectivity to the Eurasian region and China. The best way to null the CPEC is to think about India’s own Belt and Road idea. India should offer China an alternative energy corridor originating from an Indian port running across Ladakh to China. China stands to gain from a more reliable economic corridor through India than risking investments in terrorism-plagued Pakistan.