LEH, July 25: The Sunni community of Leh, under the banner of Anjuman Moin Ul Islam today demanded that the upcoming elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, be postponed until a proper delimitation of constituencies is undertaken.
Addressing the media, Dr. Abdul Qayum, President of Anjuman Moin Ul Islam, stated that while the Sunni community has historically played a significant role in the development of Ladakh, it continues to suffer due to inadequate political representation. He emphasized that reorganizing Leh into a few additional constituencies would help address this issue and provide the community with fair representation.
The community submitted a memorandum to the Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Leh, urging immediate intervention to ensure equitable political and administrative representation. “The creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh presents a critical juncture-a unique opportunity to rectify past disparities and to promote inclusive governance and unity among all communities in the region,” the memorandum stated.
The Sunni community alleged that they have faced consistent marginalization, particularly in terms of political participation and administrative inclusion. A key and long-standing demand has been the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the entire population of Ladakh, including the Sunni Muslim community.
One of the most pressing concerns, the memorandum noted, is the unfair demarcation of constituencies under LAHDC Leh, particularly affecting Sunni Muslims residing in central Leh. The community proposed the creation of a Central Leh constituency to ensure effective representation and the redrawing of constituency boundaries to enable balanced voter distribution.
