Protest March in Ladakh
Ladakh is a magical place. I was fortunate to spend a month there in October, 1989. Beyond all the wonderful, scenic vistas and people, one of the most interesting events I attended was a rally for Union Territory status. The rally was set for October 27th, the day the Indian troops first entered Kashmir in 1947. The day is very symbolic to the people, because both Kashmir and Ladakh were planning “bandhs”, the local equivalent of a strike. In Kashmir, the people were another Indian population that were striving for some autonomy from the state. Ladakh had different ideas. They desired Union Territory status from Kashmir. They believed that they had little political authority in the Jammu and Kashmir government. A Union Territory would preserve their culture and heritage. Also, the Kashmiris were hoarding the state and tourist money, keeping the business and cash in Kashmir and not Ladakh.
