Young and angry in Leh, Pg17.

Key Highlights:

• On September 24, violence erupted in Leh during a protest, resulting in four deaths from police firing.
• The protest, initiated by Sonam Wangchuk over environmental concerns and job creation, escalated due to youth frustration.
• Ladakh became a Union Territory in August 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370, initially sparking euphoria that later turned into disillusionment.
• The Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) are demanding statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion, a Ladakh Service Commission, and parliamentary seats.
• Graduate unemployment in Ladakh jumped from 9.8% in 2021-22 to 26.5% in 2022-23, surpassing the national average.

Detailed Insights:

• The initial optimism following Ladakh's UT status waned due to perceived lack of job opportunities and threats to local culture.
• Ladakh's economy heavily relies on the Army, government jobs, and tourism, but opportunities are limited by schemes like Agniveer and saturated tourism.
• A Ladakh Service Commission is sought to provide a clear path to government jobs, as current key positions are often filled by central deputation or temporary arrangements.
• Despite the administration's claim of notifying 8,000 jobs since 2019, many are contractual, and most notified positions are for Group C and D jobs.
• The demand for the Sixth Schedule is driven by the need to protect Ladakh’s fragile ecology and culture from large-scale investments like the proposed solar park in Pang.
• The LAHDC, Leh and LAHDC, Kargil have become weakened, leading to unity between Leh and Kargil on key issues and a disconnect between administration and local representatives.
• Civil society groups have suspended talks with the Centre, raising concerns for the security establishment due to growing discontent in this strategically significant region.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Article 370: Granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, later abrogated in August 2019.
• Union Territory: A type of administrative division in India directly controlled by the Central Government.
• Sixth Schedule: Constitutional provision for autonomous governance in certain tribal areas, protecting their rights, culture, and land.