'Whatever We Have, That Is Being Taken Away By The Government'

'The government is distributing land in Ladakh as if they are selling cinema hall tickets.'

IMAGE: Charred remains of vehicles after the violent protest at the BJP office in Leh, September 24, 2025, over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. Photograph: ANI Photo

A day after violent protests erupted in Ladakh demanding separate statehood and Constitutional safeguards, Sajjad Kargili, a key member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, sharply criticises the Union Territory model, calling it a "failed idea".

The region, which was carved out as a separate Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, has seen rising discontent over the past six years.

Wednesday's violence marks a critical point in what had largely been peaceful demands by Ladakhi civil society for restoration of democratic rights, employment opportunities, and protection of land and cultural identity.

"Bureaucrats started running the place post the abrogation of Article 370. They started ruling Ladakh with their own whims and fancies but we are not China where such dictatorship will be tolerated," Mr Kargili tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.

Why was there sudden violence in Leh for separate statehood?

There has been a high level of frustration among the people of Leh for the last six years (post the abrogation of Article 370). There is no policy meant for Leh in the real sense and there are no jobs too, so there is resentment in people. This resulted in violence yesterday (Septeber 24, 2025).

Why did a peaceful demonstration turn violent on Wednesday?

No one supports violence in Leh but unfortunately this incident has happened that led to the deaths of some people.

IMAGE: Security personnel deployed during a protest in Leh, September 24, 2025, over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. Photograph: ANI Video Grab

The blame is laid on the youth of Ladakh who turned violent.

Yes, there is frustration among them as there are no jobs.

To give you an example, when there are vacancies for 500 government job posts, 46,000 youth apply for them. We have huge unemployed educated youth in our region.

In the last six years not a single gazette post was created in Ladakh. There is no public service commission in Ladakh.

The government on other hand is only celebrating festivals by cutting ribbons and ignoring the core issue of unemployment.

They run sports tournaments here in the name of climate change whereas the fact is that there is no policy for Ladakh in terms of climate change.

There is afsarshahi (bureaucrat's rule) in Ladakh with no accountability.

No voice is heard and there is no democracy that exists.

In Ladakh, graduates and PhD holders are sitting at home and watching reels on Internet as they have no job or work to do.

When Article 370 was abolished the people of Ladakh had welcomed it.

It was not the entire Ladakh region but a section of the population that welcomed it. The media highlighted that part only in 2019 with much fanfare.

There were people who opposed Ladakh becoming a Union Territory at that point of time. The idea of a Union Territory for Ladakh has failed.

When Ladakh was part of Jammu and Kashmir state, how different was life for the people of Ladakh?

Before the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Ladakh's identity was safeguarded under Article 35A of the Indian Constitution.

The environment of Ladakh was protected. Their land rights were protected. They had power to elect their own leader.

They had a voice and say in the running of the Jammu and Kashmir government. They had their own MLAs.

Today, the situation has changed. It is the outside officers who dictate terms in Ladakh.

They bring in their own policies and they take their own decisions without consulting locals which is causing resentment.

People have elected democratically their representatives for the last 70 years in Ladakh and one cannot just throw the same set of people under officer's rule. This is not acceptable to anyone.

India is a federal State and the diversity has to be strong and united to rule any place peacefully.

We have to take everyone together and run the system and when that is not happening, the protests have started.

How many MLAs did Ladakh have earlier prior to the abrogation of Article 370?

We had four MLAs from Ladakh and two members of the legislative council. There was resentment then too, but in the cabinet decisions of the J&K government the voice of Ladakh was heard. This is missing now.

IMAGE: A burnt van in Leh, September 24, 2025, during the violent protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. Photograph: ANI Photo

Ladakh elected a BJP MP in 2014 and 2019, before electing an independent in 2024. What led to the disillusionment?

The BJP had put in their election manifesto in 2019 that they will put Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule but they turned back from their word.

The hill council business rules have not been defined yet.

Later, bureaucrats started running the place post the abrogation of Article 370. They started ruling Ladakh with their own whims and fancies but we are not China where such dictatorship will be tolerated.

The government did replace Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur with B D Mishra in 2023 after protests erupted.

There is no change (in policy). Our nautor ailan 38 rule (external link) in Ladakh that granted us distribution of land power was taken away from us and given to the district magistrate post Article 370.

This set-up is only wrong. This system of Union Territory is not working for Ladakh.

Can you explain what is this nautor ailan 38 rule?

Prior to abolition of Article 370 the people of Ladakh who did not hold any land used to get land under this law of nautor ailan 38. Now, they don't get it.

The government is now digitising all the land records and not giving land to the people of Ladakh who want it.

This is a small hilly place with fewer agricultural opportunities. So whatever we have, that too is being taken away by the government.

But is digitisation not good? Under it there is a permanent land record.

When J&K state existed prior to 2019 the barren land of Ladakh could be put into agricultural use by taking permission from the tehsildar. Now that power of tehsildar has been snatched away and given to the district magistrate. Obviously, he will not do it.

When a tehsildar can do the work, why not a district magistrate?

You got to visit the land physically to check and pass on the benefit to the poor man. A district magistrate has no time to visit the corners of Ladakh and issue such clearances for a poor man. This, the tehsildars used to do.

And sadly, till this day the Union Territory of Ladakh has not given any data as to how many people in Ladakh have been allotted land (post abrogation of Article 370).

But we read in the newspapers that investments are coming into Ladakh and industrialists are creating employment in Ladakh.

The government is distributing land in Ladakh as if they are selling cinema hall tickets. They are not taking the consent of the local people of Ladakh who are stakeholders in this place.

You have seen what has happened in Joshimath in Uttarakhand, Jammu or for that matter floods in Punjab -- the same situation can happen in Ladakh if the ecology of the place is not maintained.

Is the government giving outsiders land in Ladakh?

They have given 55,000 acres (external link) for solar energy.

This decision was taken without taking the consent of the local people of Ladakh. Therefore there is anger and resentment against the administration.