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| Kavinder Gupta assumes charge as Ladakh LG | | Says resolving ongoing stir tops agenda | |  Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 18: Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the third Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh on Thursday during a formal ceremony held at the Durbar Hall of the LG Secretariat. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Arun Palli of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The ceremony was attended by people from various walks of life. After taking the oath, Gupta was accorded a guard of honour by the Ladakh Police in the presence of his family members. Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.
Gupta succeeds Brigadier (Dr) B.D. Mishra (Retd), who took charge as Ladakh LG in February 2023, following the tenure of R.K. Mathur, the first Lieutenant Governor appointed after the formation of the Union Territory in 2019.
A seasoned politician, Gupta has previously held several key positions, including that of Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 during the BJP-PDP coalition government.
The biggest challenge awaiting the newly appointed LG is addressing the ongoing agitation led by Ladakhi groups demanding constitutional and political safeguards for the region. Despite efforts by the Union Home Ministry to resume dialogue, the agitating groups remain firm in their decision to stage a protest in Delhi on February 15.
A crucial meeting between the two principal agitating bodies—the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—is expected to be held on July 20. However, as of now, no formal invitation has been extended to the groups for the meeting.
The LAB and KDA have intensified their stir, pressing for four core demands, full statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect tribal rights, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil, establishment of a Ladakh Public Service Commission with the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) as a mandatory eligibility criterion for gazetted posts.
While most political parties in the region have extended support to the movement, the BJP has distanced itself from the agitation. The party, which controls the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, maintains that the grant of Union Territory status to Ladakh was a long-standing demand of the people and was fulfilled by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
In a bid to address concerns of the people, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had, on January 3, 2023, constituted a high-powered committee to explore legislative safeguards for land and employment in Ladakh. The panel was tasked with recommending measures to preserve the region’s unique culture and language, given its distinct geography and strategic significance.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, civil society and political groups in Ladakh have consistently demanded constitutional protection, including inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, to safeguard their land, identity, and employment rights.
As Kavinder Gupta assumes office, all eyes are now on how effectively he engages with stakeholders and navigates the sensitive political landscape of the Union Territory. |
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