Darjeeling provokes talk of J&K division

The granting of autonomy to Darjeeling has reignited the demand for division of the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir on religious and regional lines.
Political parties in the Hindu-majority Jammu have kicked off a campaign seeking re-organisation of the state, while the Buddhist-majority district of Leh wants nothing short of a union territory status for Ladakh.
The Panthers Party, which has three MLAs in the 89-member Assembly, has launched a massive campaign in different districts of Jammu region for reorganization of the J&K as it existed before 1846 when the Treaty of Amritsar was signed
“People, particularly students, youth and farmers, are highly attracted towards the new formula presented to reorganise the state on the basis of cultural, geographical and historical identity,” said Bansi Lal Sharma, president, implementation committee for reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, a high power internal group of the Panthers Party.
The Panthers Party’s formula includes closing the chapter of “unnatural union” of Jammu and Kashmir and establish three separate legislative, administrative and financial units having separate legislature and budgets for Ladakh, the Kashmir Valley and Dogra Pradesh (Jammu).
“This is the need for the development of each region and strengthening the communal harmony and regional co-operation,” Sharma said.
Ladakhis, meanwhile, said they were monitoring the developments in Gorkhaland and Telangana movements to spur their own struggle for the union territory status for their region.
“The people of Ladakh cutting across religious lines want UT status for the cold desert. Gorkhaland autonomy will give impetus to our movement and we shall demand for more powers to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Since the Centre has acceded to the demands of the Gorkhaland people, we shall also ask the Centre to accept our demand,” said Thupstan
Chewang, former President of the Ladakh Union Territory Front.
The 30-member LAHDC was formed under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1995 following demands for Union territory status for the region.
However, the Muslim majority district of Kargil has strongly opposed the UT status for Ladakh division. “We do not want to severe ties with Jammu and Kashmir,”a leader from Kargil said.
Besides, the two main political players - National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) - have already pitched in for autonomy and self-rule respectively as solution to the J&K problem.
~DNA