by Chithra KarunaKaran on Friday, September 2, 2011 at 6:41am
On Sunday July 24, 2011 I sent out an informal verbal invitation to a prominent resident of Mulbekh, Ladakh suggesting a meeting of gram panchayats of Wakha and Mulbekh, shortly after their election following a 31 year lag, mainly due to violent ISI-fed unrest in the Kashmir Valley and the Pak attack on Kargil, not to mention the battle for Siachen. Epic events but ordinary humans find ways to connect with one another with a little help from the nation-state.
I was astonished and moved when all 18 members showed up around noon at the Chang Chup Chosling nunnery where I was staying. The Nunnery served lunch, following the meeting.
Amazing showing, where else can you get that kind of response?
Their presence showed the hunger to develop local representation and recognition, local self-governance and underlined the determination to push for economic equality for the entire Ladakh region, in order to to bring it on a par with Jammu and the Vale of Kashmir. When self-interest meets the collective interest as in this case, then there's hope for progress.
I posted the following news story (see below) to Rising Kashmir which carried an edited version, on a delayed dateline which pissed me off. The story was picked up by Dost Khan of State Times, published from New Delhi.
My Qs. now are:
Will Panchayat power in Ladakh be strong and united enough to gain local support to effect a name change for the State?
Will the name change be merely cosmetic or will the name change usher in genuine economic equality for Ladakhis, with their Kashmiri and Jammuite sisters and brothers?
Will wait see if Wakha and Mulbekh (where I have been working for the past 5 years) can bare their snow leopard teeth and seize the initiative.
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News article follows:
editor@risingkashmir.com
Attn: Shujaat Bukhari
News exclusive to Rising Kashmir newspaper
Wahka, Ladakh
Dateline: July 24, 2011
Byline: Chithra KarunaKaran
JKL not J&K: Ladakh Demands Economic Equality -- not Discrimination
Mulbekh and Wakha Panchayats Pass Unanimous Resolution to Press for Name Change of State
The newly elected members of the Panchayats of Wakha and Mulbekh in Ladakh region,
in a combined meeting of their respective Sarpanchs and Panchs, 18 in total, voted unanimously by voice vote and provided their signatures (see below), in favor of a resolution to press for recognition and inclusion of Ladakh in the name of the State.
"From now on we want our State to be known as JKL, not J&K." stated a member from Mulbekh after the vote.
In a meeting lasting over two hours, which took place at the Chang Chup Chosling monastery premises here in Wakha, and conducted in a mixture of Ladakhi, English, Urdu and Hindi, the panchayat explained their reasons for passing the resolution.
"Nyachang nya naam inna kyong gis yaphas chyang duk," said a female panch from Mulbekh. Translated: Whenever there is an opportunity, they discriminate against us in every way.
A panchayat member from Wakha, observed:
"Nyachang Ladakhspa gunglang danda yargyas cha gas," (We Ladakhi people want equal development and prosperity like Jammu and Kashmir.")
Following the unanimous passage of the above Resolution, the joint Wakha-Mulbekh Panchayat members engaged in a lively and productive discussion in which they expressed determination to cooperate to develop indigenous resources and products of Ladakh region in order to 1) generate income for Aam Ladakhis and 2) revenue for implementation of panchayat activities on a priority basis.
"We are not paid any salary for our panchayat work, but the Minister may be paid more than Rs. 45,000 per month. Also we are directly responsible to the people. They can see what we do
As examples of developing products from local resources, they spoke about making incense sticks,soap,herbal teas, mosquito repellent from local plants, trees, shrubs, roots and seeds that are unique to the Ladakh region.
Panchayat members discussed the feasibility of raising cash among their members as well as seeking microcredit resources from the State and the Centre.
"We know we can be successful and try to emulate the success of panchayats in advanced states like Kerala."
In particular, some panch members from both Wakha and Mulbekh emphasized the importance of placing women at the forefront of panchayat activities. If women can develop skills based on local knowledge and they earn money, it will benfit their children and their families directly,observed one panch member from Wakha.
Following are the signatories to the unanimous Resolution to rename the state as JKL -- Jammu Kashmir Ladakh. No ifs ands and buts. JKL not J&K.
Mulbekh Panchayat Members:
A.K. Hussain Panch
Padma Yangdol "
Stanzin Namgail "
Mohd. Hussain "
Tsewang Norboo "
Sonam Dolma "
Tsewang Tundup "
Tsering Tundup Sarpanch
Wakha Panchayat Members:
Tsering Kunzes Panch
Tsering Norboo "
Mohd. Murtaza "
Mohd. Ali "
Mohd. Hadi "
Sakina Banoo "
Sonam Tsering "
Haji Mohd. Mussa "
Tsering Stanzin Sarpanch
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RK newspaper carried the truncated, delayed, byline omitted version below:
I'm posting here the DELAYED, TRUNCATED (note omissions and delayed dateline) Rising Kashmir article, byline omitted:
Headline:
Add Ladakh into J&K’s name:(sic) Panchs of Wakha, Mulbekh urge
Sunday, 07 Aug 2011 at 11:35
Rising Kashmir News
Srinagar, Aug 07: The newly elected members of the Panchayats of Wakha and Mulbekh in Ladakh region,in a combined meeting of their respective Sarpanchs and Panchs, 18 in total, voted unanimously by voice vote and provided their signatures, in favor of a resolution to press for recognition and inclusion of Ladakh in the name of the State.
"From now on we want our State to be known as JKL, not J&K." stated a member from Mulbekh after the vote.
In a meeting lasting over two hours, which took place at the Chang Chup Chosling monastery premises here in Wakha, and conducted in a mixture of Ladakhi, English, Urdu and Hindi, the panchayat explained their reasons for passing the resolution.
“Whenever there is an opportunity, they discriminate against us in every way” said a female panch from Mulbekh.
A panchayat member from Wakha, observed, “We Ladakhi people want equal development and prosperity like Jammu and Kashmir."
Following the unanimous passage of the Resolution, the joint Wakha-Mulbekh Panchayat members engaged in a lively and productive discussion in which they expressed determination to cooperate to develop indigenous resources and products of Ladakh region in order to generate income for Aam Ladakhis and revenue for implementation of panchayat activities on a priority basis.
"We are not paid any salary for our panchayat work, but the Minister may be paid more than Rs. 45,000 per month. Also we are directly responsible to the people.
As examples of developing products from local resources, they spoke about making incense sticks, soap,herbal teas, mosquito repellent from local plants, trees, shrubs, roots and seeds that are unique to the Ladakh region.
Panchayat members discussed the feasibility of raising cash among their members as well as seeking microcredit resources from the State as well as from the Centre.
"We know we can be successul and try to emulate the success of panchayats in advanced states like Kerala."
In particular, some panch members from both Wakha and Mulbekh empasized the importance of placing women at the forefront of panchayat activities. If women can develop skills based on local knowledge and they earn money, it will benfit their children and their families directly,observed one panch member from Wakha.
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Now here's the pickup from State Times of my news article that was earlier made available by me to Rising Kashmir's editor:
‘From now, call it Jammu Kashmir Ladakh State’
Posted by Administrator on Aug 9th, 2011 and filed under J&k, Page-1. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
DOST KHAN
JAMMU: Should the state of Jammu and Kashmir be rechristened as Jammu Kashmir Ladakh, or JKL for the sake of convenience?
Ask Peoples Democratic Party or National Conference, it will serve like a red rag to the bull. But, the truth is that a strong voice has emanated from the Land of Lamas for renaming the state as JKL.
The recently elected Sarpanchs and Panchs of the Panchayats of Wakha and Mulbekh in Ladakh region at a joint meeting have forcefully demanded the State to be named as Jammu Kashmir Ladakh. Eighteen representatives of the two Panchayats have unanimously voted one-line resolution demanding: “From now on we want our State to be known as JKL, not J and K.”
This is departure from the strong demand of the Union Territory status for Ladakh and assertion as an equal partner in the affairs of the State. So, is it a beginning of a new chapter in the State with trouble thrust upon, which a few separatists call their exclusive domain or a few mainstreamed, deeming their fiefdom?
Ladakh is undergoing a subtle transformation with the people getting politically more conscious and reasonably awakened. Unlike the other two regions of the State, the people of Ladakh have developed a unique trait of getting united, irrespective of their party affiliations, when it comes to protecting or projecting the interests of the region.
After discarding the State flag and the emblem, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council has decided early this year to adopt an insignia, which is almost akin to the National Emblem. By adopting a separate flag and a separate emblem depicting the Ashoka Pillar symbol, the people of Ladakh have, in fact, showed their resentment to the hegemony of Kashmiris over the administration and deprivation of their due in the development and participatory involvement in governing the State.
Dispensing with the State emblem and flag created furor among the ‘mainstreamed’ political parties with the main opposition, People’s Democratic Party reacting sharply and vowing to protect the State’s unique identity and thereby keep it distinctively away from the national mainstream.
The major partner in the State coalition dispensation, National Conference, however, underplayed the development with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah comparing the LAHDC with Srinagar Municipality, saying it too has a different emblem. Omar knows he is willfully downplaying the development which is certainly more than that appears to eyes. LAHDC is in no way just like any other municipality or municipal corporation. They have a mechanism similar to what once used to be in the national capital of Delhi. They have their own protocol and they view the council just like a Legislative Assembly. The Mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation or, for that matter, Jammu Municipal Corporation do not unfurl the tricolor on the Independence or Republic Day at the main official functions but in Leh and Kargil Chief Executive Councilors do not only unfurl the flag but also take salute at the march-past. So, saying that the LAHDC is just like SMC is like pretending as an ostrich and let the issue lie on a back burner till the current tenure of governance lasts. PDP has been fighting for the just cause of the people of Kashmir but gets red faced when the other two regions assert their position in the diverse Jammu and Kashmir set up. Jammu has not been assertive as the Ladakh region has emerged lately because Jammu leaders are reconciled with playing the second fiddle to the Kashmiri bosses. They are happy as long as they get small morsels for the province and mouths full for their personal selves, even if these are left overs, for satiating their appetite. But, the people of Ladakh have certainly differentiated themselves from the people of Jammu. Patriots to the core, they have out rightly rejected the cult of gun, shown high degree of self esteem and rebuffed unequivocally non-sense activities against the Indian nation. In fact, Ladakh has remained quite a peaceful region of the turbulent Jammu and Kashmir State since the outbreak of Pak sponsored terrorism.
Reacting to the decision of the LAHDC, Mehbooba Mufti pledged: “PDP will fight any attempt to dilute the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution. Leh is part of the State. The emblem controversy is unfortunate.” This is unfortunate- okay- but what about the Self Rule doctrine that almost seeks semi Azadi for the State, presumptuously Jammu and Ladakh included?
Surprisingly, vocal and agile over every issue or non-issue, the separatists have not reacted to this development, perhaps deliberately, as this will shatter their edifice of Greater Kashmir. They have been projecting the entire Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh included, as an occupational land facing the ‘repression’ of India. The world at large has also been misled, or it has preferred to remain ignorant, about the harsh realities in the State. Ladakh has never aligned itself with any movement spearheaded by Kashmiris. In fact, sick of discrimination and step motherly treatment, they have been demanding Union Territory status for the Ladakh region, which is a big rebuff to those seeking Azdai, Autonomy or Self Rule.
It is equally surprising why the larger Indian civil society or peace activities have never thought about the people living across Zojila. If they ever think so, they will be shocked to know that Jammu and Kashmir is not just a city and few towns that demand Azadi, Autonomy or Self Rule. It is a vast land, inhabited by nationalist Gujjars, Paharis, Baltis, Sikhs, Shias, Pandits, Dogras besides a large chunk of Muslims, who are as good compatriots as in any part of India.
[end of State times pickup news article]
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Note: I hope this news exposure and my Blog Twitter and FB will help the panchayts of Wakha and Mulbekh to gain exposure and succeed in accomplishing the name change to JKL. Ladakh exists! Let the name change show it. -- CKK
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