Identities of Bharat are now seen in Kanayakumari to Ladakh that has large international borders Geographical situations of UT of Ladakh do justify for GOI considering Benches of HC & CAT for UT
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India ) has even accorded approved in December 2021 for establishment of even multidisciplinary Forensic Science Laboratory in Ladakh, which could be surely more because of geographical/geo-political needs in the region.
Looking at the geographical placement the Ladakh region of the erstwhile Indian state of J&K earlier also needed priority attention from the side of local and Union governments as regards the geo-political issues, law and order, administrative nearness, availability of social & legal justice, higher education, protection of rights of those in government service, promotion of trade/industry/tourism but it had not been that focussed.
Ofcourse now with the enactment of The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 No. 34 Of 2019 in the Seventieth Year of the Republic of India (received assent of President of India on 9th August 2019 ) surely a ‘message’ has gone to the people ‘outside’ that the real dimensions of Bharat Varsh should be gauged from Ladakh to Kanayakumari. And for the purposes of clarities it has been now explicitly for the first time laid down in 2019 for the information of all the concerned that the territories of Leh District of UT of Ladakh constitute of the districts of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir, namely:- “Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, Tribal territory and ‘Leh and Ladakh’ except present territory of Kargil”. Accordingly maps were also issued in November 2019 first time very clearly showing the areas occupied by Pakistan and China as Indian territories clearing any myths about the extent of Bharat Varsh of the day i.e limits from ‘Ladakh’ to Kanayakumari.
Earlier also suggestions had been made to also show the areas occupied by Pakistan /China in the Jurisdictions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir/ Divisional Commissioner Jammu/ Deputy Commissioner Leh/ Kargil ,No doubt still there are some occupied areas that need be formally mentioned under the jurisdictions of Divisional Commissioner Jammu / Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and hope that is done soon.
Ofcourse GoI had been in the past also economically supporting the people of Ladakh region with specials but still more was needed for making then conduct their routines without special subsidies/ economic concessions. Anyhow now from the actions that the Union Government (GoI) has taken after October 31, 2019 the indications have started coming that the Central government is very serious about the needs of the region/the people of the Ladakh Region and that could be well read also from the initiatives taken by GoI like for setting up even Sindhu Central university in Ladakh in addition to Ladakh University ( started in 2019) and also a Medical College.
Some people may ask that what was the need for setting up a Central University and a Medical college in a UT that had only a population of just around 3,00,000 to 3,50,000 or so and the simple answer is that the people there who so far had very remote scope for generating their income had to spend the scarce resources /time much beyond their possible incomes to obtain higher education (beyond graduation), for seeking justice from higher judiciary, for health cover and so even when their areas were totally cut for more than 6 months from Srinagar and Jammu.
Not only that , even when people from Jammu or Srinagar do not have that much difficulties from geographical and economic angles the wings of High court are available in Srinagar as well as Jammu and also are there benches of CAT at both places. The people of Ladakh have more limitations in the form of economic/ geographical compulsions for seeking justice/administrative remedies hence as already pointed out earlier also there a need for having if not a High Court of UT of Ladakh atleast a wing of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in the UT of Ladakh. Imagine how difficult it is presently for the Ladakh region people to seek total ultimate justice. Anyone who has to appeal against the judgement of Sessions or has to file a writ petition has to file the petition in Jammu or Srinagar only since the wings of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court are in Jammu and Srinagar only. Imagine how pressing and expensive in time & money it must be to file appeals and visit the court / advocates both money and time wise? How distant and difficult terrain the people of Ladakh are placed has to be appreciated by GoI and the demand for separate HC in Ladakh / or a wing of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh HC need be considered both Ministry of Home Affairsand Ministry of Law & Justice setting aside the fact that the population of Ladakh is very less ( just over 3 Lakh ), Such like demands need be appreciated in the name of natural justice keeping in view the stretch of even the ( presently) administered area of UT of J&K which is around more than 1.5 times the area of UT of J&K. Need for bringing higher judiciary near to the people of Ladakh for appeals and writs in the form of a High Court of the UT / permanent wing of HC of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in Leh or Kargil must be addressed
Similar could be the need for a Bench of the CAT in Leh, which has not been done so far. But people of the UT must note that GoI hasbeen more appreciating in the recent years the need to also focus more on the territories of the erstwhile State J&K other than the Kashmir valley like . accelerating the works in UT of Ladakh for laying of power transmission lines under the Prime Minister’s Development Package, phasing out DG sets to reduce bad impact on environment and taking up 20 Mega Watts solar project at Phyang, making the maintenance of existing solar appliances more effective, for continuous power supply to villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, and so. No doubt it is also a fact that with GOI having become a little more caring the expectations of the people of the ‘region’ that has very large international borders have more increased.
(Daya Sagar Sr Journalist,
Analyst J&K Affairs dayasagr45@yahoo.com).