A three-day hunger strike for statehood and the extension of the sixth schedule for Ladakh began on Saturday morning, with KDA spearheading the strike.
The hunger strike began amid the growing frustration of Ladakh’s Apex Bodies with the Union Government over the deadlock in the talks ongoing for quite some time.
Both representational bodies, including KDA and LAB, have been jointly spearheading the agitation over the past five years and have met with the high-powered committee of the Union Government several times.
The banner at the hunger strike site read, “Together, we can build a future where Ladakh governs Ladakh. Three-day hunger strike (in support of) statehood for Ladakh, (its) inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution, separate Lok Sabha seats for the Leh and Kargil regions and establishment of a public service commission (PSC).”
The massive crowd holding the placards, many of which read “end colonial treatment, restore democracy, statehood, Sixth Schedule and strong Ladakh”, gathered at the Hussaini Park in Kargil.
The Co-Chairman of the KDA, Asgar Ali Karbalai, said, “This hunger strike is part of our ongoing agitation in support of our four demands. We have done everything that could be done democratically, including the fasts, protests and foot marches (from Ladakh to Delhi) over the past four years in support of our demands, though the cold responses from the Ministry of Home Affairs have not spared any other alternative for us than to come in public and observe fasting one more time.”
“Our demands are a basic extension of the constitutional framework, including statehood and the Sixth Schedule,” he added.
Kargili said democracy should be restored in Ladakh as soon as possible, along with the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which the government had promised.
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