PM acknowledges UT demand for Ladakh

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 16

Amid the growing clamour for Ladakh’s “secession” from Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged the long-pending demand for granting Union Territory (UT) status to the Ladakh region.

In response to a letter written by the Ladakh’s lone Lok Sabha Member Thupstan Chhewang, the Prime Minister has responded, saying “I have received your letter of August 30, 2016, regarding grant of Union Territory status to Ladakh”.

“It is an acknowledgment of the Prime Minister of our demand. We wanted to bring to his notice the long-pending of Ladakhi people. The present situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, has heighted our sense of suffering,” said Chhewang.

He said he had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister on August 30 and copies of its were submitted to different Union Ministers and all members of the all-party delegation which had recently visited the state in view of the widespread unrest in Kashmir.

In his memorandum, the Member of Parliament has said, “I am once again constrained to bring to your (PM) notice the long-pending demand of the people of Ladakh for a UT status with a legislature. There is widespread feeling in the world at large that we are part of a confused narrative concerning our sensitive border state. The Valley continues to be rocked by mindless violence for nearly two months now”. The MP said they felt stifled because of the present senseless violence in a part of the state.