Farooq Abdullah blames broken promises for Ladakh violence

Srinagar, Sep 25: Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah, on Thursday, said that the youth of Ladakh were driven to violence after their peaceful protest failed to bear any results.

Addressing media persons in Srinagar, Abdullah said whatever happened in Ladakh was a serious issue as the youth resorted to violent means after adopting the Gandhian policy to get their demands fulfilled.

“These protests and clashes clearly indicate that the youth of Ladakh feel betrayed as the Government of India has failed to fulfill the promises made with them during the last five years,” he said.

Abdullah said that witnessing such clashes at a place that already had foreign interference could prove dangerous at any point in time. He appealed to the Centre to initiate a dialogue with the people of Ladakh, saying that neglecting the long-pending demands of people in Leh could deepen unrest in the sensitive region.

“The recent violent clashes reported in Leh are the outcome of the 5 years of betrayal. People of Ladakh were demanding inclusion under the Sixth Schedule and restoration of statehood for the past five years, but only received vague assurances,” Abdullah said.

He said whatever happened in Ladakh was not good, as people earlier used peaceful means under the leadership of Sonam Wangchuk, who adopted the Gandhian policy.

“But nothing came out of it. Youth of Leh resorted to violence after they realised that their voices were being ignored,” Abdullah said.

He said that Wangchuk did not do anything as he adopted non-violence over the years.

“But the growing frustration among the youth pushed them to violent means to fight for their rights,” Abdullah said. He said that given Ladakh’s strategic position, it makes the situation more delicate.

“China is on our heads and has already put its control on some portion of the land. The Government of India should negotiate and settle this issue,” Abdullah said.

Ruling out any role of outsiders, he said that outsiders are blamed for their role whenever anything happens.

“People of J&K also have bitter experiences of broken promises, as we were told that statehood would be restored after delimitation. Later, we were told that statehood would be given after elections, but nothing happened in the last 11 months,” Abdullah said. “Same betrayal is being repeated with the people of Ladakh.” He urged the Centre that the time was ripe to turn promises into action.

“People of Ladakh are feeling let down; Delhi must move faster with a positive approach,” Abdullah said.

Referring to border concerns, he said that the entire world knows how much Indian land was in the possession of China, and there was no option to hide the truth.

“Ladakh is a sensitive region. This is the reality. We should also acknowledge that China has never accepted the McMahon Line since Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s time,” Abdullah said.

He said that claims of US President Donald Trump that India was supporting Ukraine were not true.

“India is not in support of any war. But such statements put the global spotlight on our region,” Abdullah said.

He expressed sympathy with the family of the youth who lost their lives in the clashes in Ladakh.

“My party and I stand with the family of those who lost their lives. Our prayers are with them,” he said.