Ladakh should be governed by Ladakhis, says MP Mohmad Haneefa, asking why no gazetted recruitment in five years

Independent MP from Ladakh Mohmad Haneefa takes oath as a Member of the 18th Lok Sabha. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Five years after Ladakh was turned into a Union Territory without a Legislative Assembly, not a single recruitment for a gazetted position has been completed, Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa said, in an interview with The Hindu on Sunday.

Mr. Haneefa, an Independent who defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate in the Lok Sabha election, said that educated youth in the Union Territory have been hit the hardest over the last five years, as the Constitutional safeguards once provided under Article 370 and Article 35A no longer exist.

The special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked by the Parliament on August 5, 2019, and the former State was split into the two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Also read: Why are Ladakh’s residents on a hunger strike? | Explained

‘Protect jobs, culture, land’

After initial euphoria in Ladakh, local residents hit the streets to demand that their culture, identity, land, and jobs be protected from outsiders. In 2020, two influential civil society groups from two different regions — the Leh Apex Body (LAB), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — came together to demand Statehood, as well as the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which deals with the protection of tribal areas. They also sought job reservations for local residents and more parliamentary representation, via two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat for Ladakh.

A high-powered committee (HPC) chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai was constituted in January 2023 and later revived in December to address their grievances. Members of the civil society groups met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 4, but said that the “meeting did not result in any positive outcome.” No meeting has taken place since.

Reservation for locals

“The Public Service Commission ceased to exist in Ladakh [after the abrogation of Article 370]. Due to this, no recruitment has taken place. Graduates, postgraduates are frustrated. The candidates should be given a relaxation in age criteria when recruitments take place. Last time, the HPC assured us that on the lines of Arunachal Pradesh, 80% reservation can be be given to locals,” Mr. Haneefa said.

He said that the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) should be mandatory for jobs, but said there has been no clarity from the government so far.

“Ladakh University advertised for jobs last year; LRC was not mandatory. The Scheduled Tribe quota was kept open for J&K residents also, whereas in J&K, Ladakhis cannot apply for jobs under the quota. People are not happy. A medical college and an engineering college were announced, land was identified by councillors, but there is no movement on it,” he said.

‘Culture under threat’

“Ladakhis want that Ladakh should be governed by Ladakhis. Every area has its unique culture; it is under threat. Ladakh has a population of around four lakh; if one lakh people from outside come and settle here, then we fear the erosion of our culture,” the MP said.

The KDA and LAB will soon convene a meeting, as the leadership of the civil society groups wants to reach a solution through dialogue with the government, Mr. Haneefa said. “We want the dialogue with the government to be revived. There should be a way forward. Such agitations are not good for Ladakhis or the country,” he added.

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