Ladakh Leaders Question Elections as Most Residents Are Away, Seek PM Intervention

Leh: Activist groups have appealed to the President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to help defer the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) election, scheduled for December 4, citing harsh winter conditions and large-scale seasonal migration. The appeal was made at the press conference held in Sham district.

Climate activist Sonum Wangchuk, Ladakh MP Mohammad Haneefa Jan, Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai, and Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorjey addressed reporters.

The leaders urged the central leadership to postpone the election to May-June next year for maximum voter participation.

“The leadership of Leh & Kargil, including the Member of Parliament, have come together to appeal to the honourable President Rashtrapati Bhavan, PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah & the LOP Rahul Gandhi & fellow citizens of India to please intervene before we are forced to start peaceful but intense agitations to demonstrate our pain”, Wangchuk told reporters.

He described the appeal as an “SOS call from Ladakh.”

The activist also rued the delay in the Judicial Inquiry Commission report into the September 24 incidents in Leh. He said it has been more than a year, but the report is yet to be made public.

“December and January are the coldest and snowiest months in Ladakh, with temperatures dipping below minus 30 degrees Celsius in many places. Nearly half of the population migrates out of Ladakh during winter for education, vacation, pilgrimage and other reasons,” Wangchuk said.

He said people across Ladakh have been protesting against the proposed nature and timing of the council election, and appealed to the country’s leadership to intervene before the situation escalates.

Haneefa Jan said he had earlier met the lieutenant governor and requested him to defer the election, preferably to May.

He said nearly 20 to 25 per cent of Ladakh’s population migrates during winter, and conducting election in December would deprive many people of their constitutional right to vote.

“We learnt through a notification issued yesterday that the elections are being scheduled for December 4 in great haste and without adequate preparation,” the MP said.

“The main purpose of elections in a democracy is to ensure the participation of every voter. However, the situation in Ladakh is exactly the opposite, as thousands of people have already migrated,” he added.

Dorjey accused the Union Territory administration of taking decisions contrary to the wishes of the people.

“Nearly one-third of Ladakh’s population has already migrated to different parts of the country. In such circumstances, forcibly conducting an election when people … (are) saying they will boycott the polls cannot be called democracy,” he said.

Dorjey also urged the government to reconsider its decision, withdraw the notification and hold the election in May next year.

Karbalai questioned the rationale for holding an election during November and December.

He said Ladakh has traditionally recorded voter turnout of over 90 per cent, but nearly 80 per cent of the population, including the entire student community, is currently away.

“Temperatures can fall to minus 25 degrees Celsius as December approaches. Even a little snowfall can disrupt the entire communication network and connectivity systems,” he said.

Karbalai said the people of Ladakh are not opposed to the election and want democratic exercises at every level.

“We want elections to be held at every level, from the grassroots to the highest level. However, elections must be conducted at a time when the season and weather conditions in Ladakh are favourable,” he said.