Buddhists from Ladakh hold protest

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tribune
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Jammu, December 28 - Activists of the Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association (HBCA) took out a rally and held a protest today demanding the inclusion of the Bhoti language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, besides the fulfilment of other demands. Led by association president Tashi Targis, a large number of women and students from Ladakh raised anti-government slogans, carrying placards with their demands written on them.

Targis, while addressing the protesters, said people of Ladakh had been facing discrimination for decades together. He pointed out that their language had not been included in the 8th Schedule. "This language is being spoken from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh and is the oldest language, but has not been included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. At the same time a number of other languages, which are spoken by far less population, have been included in the 8th Schedule," he said.

Targis further said it was total injustice with and discrimination against people of Ladakh. He said the route to Kailash Mansarovar needed to be reopened through Ladakh for the benefit of the yatris and the Central government should use all its channels to press China to vacate Tibet.

He regretted that people of Ladakh had been protesting to draw the attention of the government towards their demands. Repeated claims of ending discrimination against Ladakh were made by the successive governments in the state as well as at the Centre, but no effective steps had been taken to fulfil our demands.

Targis said it was due to a weak foreign policy of the Central government that China had started interfering in our internal matters. "It was the Congress government in 1962, which had surrendered 42,000 sq km of our land to China and now again it is a Congress-led government at the Centre that has adopted complete silence over China's interference in our matters," he added.

Ladakh Students Union president Tsering Norfil, women wing president of the association Tsewang Dolma, Ladakh Kalyan Sangh convener Dr Anil Kumar, advocate Tashi Raftan and student leader Rinchen Daba also addressed the protesters.