Srinagar, Mar 20: The Centre should pay heed to the demand for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami said on Wednesday.
“Today, there is a unified call for constitutional guarantees under the Sixth Schedule. We share a common history and concerns for Ladakh, resonating deeply with the aspirations of its people. It’s imperative for the government of India to heed their voices and address their grievances promptly,” Tarigami said in a statement.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir never desired for Ladakh to be separated from the erstwhile state.
“Yet, it happened abruptly against our wishes. While a faction of the society in Leh were demanding Union Territory status for Ladakh and celebrated it later, they now acknowledge the drawbacks and express a preference for constitutional guarantees for their empowerment,” the CPI(M) leader added.
Tarigami said the charter of demands of the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) include safeguards under the Sixth Schedule — a constitutional provision safeguarding tribal culture as 90 per cent of the region’s population is tribal, and protection of rights of land and jobs.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir stand in solidarity with Ladakh, advocating for democratic rights and constitutional assurances. We urge the government of India to recognise that these artificial lines cannot divide us and the arbitrary divisions imposed on August 5, 2019, cannot fracture our unity,” he added.
The provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, were abrogated on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
