RESEARCH SERIES

Contemporary Ladakh
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

Indus Research Foundation (IRF) is a think tank, research and resource centre on issues of historical and contemporary importance within and around the region of Jammu and Kashmir. A non-political, non-governmental Trust, IRF promotes the entire region of undivided Jammu and Kashmir as a bridge between India and Pakistan and essential link between Central and South Asia. IRF is based in Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), India
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Contemporary Ladakh: A Quick View

ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

Change of seasons comes with charm of its own. When winters get harsh the next on the door is spring knock. And autumn is always an adaptability interval between summer and winter. In Ladakh, however, autumn and spring are not much heard of seasons. There is straight jump from summer to winter, so and so forth. It is not the drastic dip in temperature that announces arrival of winters in the breathtakingly beautiful town of Leh. Indeed, it is winding up of Kerala or Goa bound restaurant-wallas by middle of September that people get to know about the harsh things in waiting. A micro cosmopolitan town of its own kind, Leh has become one of the most preferred destinations for domestic tourists even as foreigners are also seen in significant numbers. It is a cause of celebrations as well as cause of concern that this year the tourist arrival far outnumbered the population of Leh district, by around 40,000. Celebration, because it gives locals an opportunity to make money in summers and spend in winters. Worry, because fragile ecology of Leh does not have that bearing capacity. Infrastructure is another concern. Whatever! The Ladakhis are in upbeat mood.
In last two decades many locals have picked up hotel and restaurant businesses to cater the huge demand but they are still deficient in capacities. This has led to many professional restaurateurs to make summer rush to Ladakh, put up eateries and pack up for other destinations like Goa and Kerala. In summers there are more tourists on streets than the locals. Obviously, the service sector too has more outsiders than locals. Being a cold desert, Ladakh agriculture produce is not even self sufficient. Government jobs, as elsewhere in the state, are scarce. A remote plateau and inhospitable weather offers very little for other businesses. Tourism is, therefore, the only source of making some earning. With this seaon limited to not more than five months, many locals want Ladakh to mature as an all season destination for tourists. It need a lot of infrastructure development and capacity building to host tourists in winters, says Tashi Gyalson, a lawyer at the district courts. Only Ladakhis know how harsh winters could be, he adds. Nasir Hussain, a social activist and former tour operator feels that a power project which coming up fast can change destiny of Ladakh. If we have round the year power supply, there can be heating arrangements in winters and lots of tourists, therefore, says Nasir. However, a professional tour operator, Singhey, is strongly opposed to the idea of promoting winter tourism. He has a valid argument. Summer make us lost in the din and winter is the only time to be with ourselves and to be among ourselves, says Singhey as he voices concern on imminent degradation in social values and cultural ethos if people keep running after money round the year. Tashi and Nasir agree quickly even as they regret abandonment of Ladakh in the winters

when outsiders do not come and majority of influential locals sneak out to warmer places like Jammu and Delhi.

Declining numbers
The majority community in Leh, Buddhists are a minuscule minority in Jammu and Kashmir as elsewhere in the country as well. They have produced some of the finest engineers, diplomats, scholars and politicians. When family planning was introduced as national policy in the country a few decades ago, Leh district stood as one of the best performers in the first ever audit. Now there are some regrets. The Buddhists population is on the decline. There are no certified figures to substantiate the claims but community leaders say they are concerned over the declining numbers. A doctors, who didnt wish to be named, says that hospitals and the doctors attending family planning aspirants are on constant radar of the youth wing of Ladakh Buddhist Association, a claim vehemently denied by LBA president Dr Tundup. The LBA chief says that his organisation has time and again issued appeals and requests to the Buddhists on producing more children but there are no incidents of any coercion. A local activist, however, alleges that in one of such incidents two population control equipments worth rupees one lakh each were destroyed by the youth wing members of LBA. There are wide fears of demographic change. With tourism industry picking up, Ladakhis have suddenly come to realise that there is little of business in their hands. Businessmen from different parts of country have put up their shops in Leh. Some from Srinagar and Jammu are reported to have bought properties in the town and entered into partnership in hotels and other ventures. There is debate on the outside influx and there are genuine fears of residents being reduced to minority, says Tashi Morupp, a prominent journalist who is now Project Director with Ladakh Art and Media Organisation (LAMO), an organisation set up by Monisha Ahmed and Ravina Aggarwal out of their affection for the region.

The Communal (dis)Comfort

Leh district accounts for a little over a lakh and quarter heads. Dominant majority is of Buddhists. Muslims were believed to be 15 percent but some claim that their population proportion has gone up to 25 percent. Certified figures of latest census (2011) are awaited. Muslims are further divided into Shias and Sunnis, the latter are believed to be more influential for inheriting the trade and merchandise legacy since centuries. There are some one hundred Christian families. But their presence is more noticeable for one of the best schools they run in the town. There are also a handful of Hindus and only two Sikh families. With this kind of population distribution the communal discomfort should have been alien to Ladakh. Unfortunately, there are some bad patches and some reasons for discomfort. Muslims may be a minority in Leh but they are part of the only Muslim majority state of India. Buddhists despite being in majority in the district nurse a feeling of being minority in the state. Thus the imbalance. There have been some incidents of communal unrest in the past and the worst among them were the riots of 1989 when Buddhist organisations announced boycott of Muslims which continued for two years. 1989 is gone, Leh has moved ahead, says former MP Thupstan Chhewang. A prominent Muslim leader, who is also a lawyer and a nominated member of the Hill Council, Mohammad Shafi Lassu agrees with this opinion with a word of caution: 1989 events are no history but history is never forgotten. Lassu adds with stress: That ugly

situation has never revisited us again but Muslims often feel insecure and apprehensive when they recall those happenings. Thinless Angmo, a lawyer and politician who contested Lok Sabha elections in 2009, refers to the other side of the picture. Pointing towards Lassu, she says, meet the President of Bar Association of Leh, Mr Mohammad Shafi Lassu, a Muslim who has been elected by Buddhists, not once but several times over. After Angmos intervention, Lassu brings in another story of trust between communities. He tells us that the President of the Merchants Association of Leh is Choudhary Ghulam Abbas (not to be mistaken for pre-1947 Muslim Conference leader of Jammu). Except the universal phenomenon of minority apprehensions in any larger majority, the communities in Ladakh seem to be at peace with each other.

Kashmir, as seen from Ladakh

Kashmiris have gone through enormous sufferings and they deserve better deal. If self rule is an option or autonomy is an option the Government of India must do that and do with sincerity and urgency, this is one common statement every Ladakhi leader makes irrespective of his party affiliations, ideological commitments, religious or cultural identities. But there is also a common rider, give Kashmiris whatever they want but before that separate us from the state and fully integrate with Union of India in the form of a Union Territory. Speaking to a range of leaders with diverse ideologies and affiliations it seemed as if it is one statements everyone remembers by heart and as if there is a commitment with each other to say nothing less than that or nothing more than that. There are some isolated voices of dissent like Tashi Gyalson. We are already worried over demographic changes and outsiders controlling the businesses, separation from J&K in form of Union Territory will take away the guarantees under Article 370 and open gates for outsiders to settle down in Ladakh, says Tashi. Thupstan Chhewang of BJP and Rigzin Spalbar of Congress counter this argument. Our demand is for Union Territory with Legislature, they say. Once we have the Union Territory with Legislature the first legislation would be to protect our rights and culture in whatever ways we deem fit, says Spalbar.