Ladakh groups slam new hill councils: ‘Maximum govt, minimum governance’, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Ladakh administration announced the creation of Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs) in five new districts, bringing the total to seven across the Union Territory.
• This decision is strongly opposed by major civil society groups, the Apex Body, Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
• ABL and KDA allege that the move aims to dilute the powers of a proposed representative government for Ladakh under Article 371.
• Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra stated the new AHDCs address long-pending demands and strengthen democratic decentralization and grassroots governance.

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Detailed Insights:

• The five new districts where AHDCs will be constituted are Drass, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, and Zanskar, in addition to existing councils in Leh and Kargil.
• The administration's decision follows recent discussions between Ladakh leaders and the Centre regarding a UT-level representative body under a customized Article 371 framework.
• ABL and KDA argue that creating more councils will weaken, rather than strengthen, representative governance due to Ladakh's relatively small population.
• Both civil society groups claim they were not consulted on this decision and had previously objected to similar proposals during Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) meetings.
• This move reignites distrust amidst ongoing negotiations between the Centre and Ladakh groups for comprehensive constitutional safeguards.
• The groups have consistently demanded statehood or a legislative framework under Article 371, along with protection for land and jobs.
• The earlier creation of five new districts in April was also controversial, with KDA alleging it altered the demographic balance of the region.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs): Local self-governing bodies established in certain hilly regions to ensure democratic decentralization and development.
• Article 371: A constitutional provision granting special administrative and legislative arrangements to certain Indian states to protect their unique interests.
• Union Territory (UT): An administrative division in India directly governed by the central government, unlike states which have their own elected governments.
• Apex Body, Leh (ABL): A prominent civil society organization representing interests primarily from the Leh district of Ladakh.
• Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA): A key civil society organization representing interests primarily from the Kargil district of Ladakh.