Contemporary Ladakh: Communal Divide in Kargil &
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Issue Brief # 234 August 2013 Innovative Research | Independent Analysis | Informed Opinion Contemporary Ladakh Communal Divide in Kargil & Leh Gulzar Hussain Jawaharlal Nehru University Ladakh consisting of two districts Kargil similarities; historically the two districts and Leh predominantly follows two Kargil and Leh had a commercial and major religions: Buddhism and Islam. In social relationship. Leh district, majority of people are followers of Buddhism with a small However, since the early 1980s the number of Muslims, Hindus and traditional bonding and communal Christians. In Kargil district majority follow harmony dramatically changed due to Islam with a small number of Buddhists, many incidents of communal clashes. Hindus and Sikhs. Along with the gap of mistrust, doubt and suspicion between the two Traditionally Ladakhi people are communities of Ladakh had started to renowned for their honesty, simplicity, grow. and peace loving nature. Their glorious past reveals their unique cultural This essay addresses two issues. The first identity, religious tolerance, goodwill issue is related to the causes and events and inter-religious marriage. Inter- of communalism in the two districts of religious marriage was common until the Ladakh after the early 70s. The questions 1970s. (Ganhar & Ganhar 1956, pp.10- which need to be answered in this 11) The people of Kargil and Leh have respect include: Whether Kargil and Leh social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic have acute social and political differences? Do the people of Kargil and Leh have separate identity to achieve separate social, economic and This essay was initially presented in a political goals for their respective conference organized by the IPCS in collaboration with the India districts? International Centre (IIC) Second issue that the essay focuses is on Views expressed are author’s own. the implications of communal violence 1 COMMUNAL DIVIDE IN KARGIL & LEH 2 on the socio-cultural relations of Kargil There are many factors which directly or and Leh in the two districts of Ladakh. indirectly invoke communal practices between Buddhists and Muslims of Leh and Kargil. They include the following: The root of communal divide is, largely political, they have an underlying I political dimension. Religion in Ladakh is, COMMUNALISM IN LADAKH as elsewhere, often used as a A CHRONOLOGICAL MAPPING mobilization tool by politicians, both Muslims as well as Buddhists, which Communalism today, is a serious threat leads to suspicion between the two to Ladakh. It can destroy traditional and communities. A large number of social harmony and become a political leaders appear to have a very menace to the unity of Ladakhi people negative image of other communities and unleash force of barbarism, as it did and their religions. These recently in Zanskar and earlier in Leh understandings, in turn, are contested and Kargil. Communalism in Leh and by some of their co-religionists, who Kargil has been occurring for the last seek, in their own ways to promote forty years. It has become a major better, relations between the electoral issue in Ladakh since the 1970s communities (Sikand, Yoginder : 2010) - various political leaders made communalism a tool for vote bank. Some observers believe Ladakh’s tourist dollar fuelled prosperity has a good After the early 70s, a big gap was deal to do with its current communal created in the relations between problems. Much of the inflow consists of Muslims and Buddhists of Ladakh. The visitors seeking salvation through Tibetan underlying causes of the conflict in Buddhism and Leh elites have little Ladakh are largely political and reason to market Kargil’s Shia tradition economic and not religious as such. instead. (Praveen, Swami: 2004). Romesh Bhatcharji, in his recent book wrote (2012) , “The gap between The LBA (Ladakh Buddhist Association) Buddhist and Muslims sections of demand for the trifurcation of state on population is widening by the day, essentially communal lines was wrongly creating disharmony between two welcomed by the RSS (Rashtriya communities.” Romesh has given Savayamsewak Sangh) and the BJP detailed account of the rise of Buddhist (Bhartiya Janta Party) who are said to virulent communalism in Leh in have close links with the LBA, seeing it particular. as an ally against Muslims. (Yoginder Sikand 2010). Sharing one MP has made the two districts, Leh and Kargil up against each other, and religious sentiment play a The root of communal divide is, largely political, major role, a trump card for the political they have an underlying political dimension. parties in the fray. In the last four Religion in Ladakh is, as elsewhere, often used decades, Ladakh has turned into a as a mobilization tool by politicians, both hostile state of power rivalry not so Muslims as well as Buddhists, which leads to much a state level as within the region, this has fragmented the region. Stanzin suspicion between the two communities. Dawa, a noted scholar lamented that recent politics in Leh lacks clarity of 2 2 IPCS ISSUE BRIEF # 234, AUGUST 2013 purpose, vision and morality. It is highly inflammatory and encourages The older generation consider 1989 as a turning fragmentation in the name of parties, point between Buddhist and Muslim relations in sects, castes, region and damaging rather than developing Ladakh. Ladakh. A scuffle between a Buddhist youth and four Muslims in Leh on July 1989 set off a big Since the early sixties, the differences protest in Leh. This incident resulted in clashes between Kargil Muslims and Leh in Leh town, which later spread to other parts of Buddhists became inevitable as paltry incidents of stoning of mosques and Leh district. There was police firing and some desecration of Buddhist flags started protesters were killed. taking place. (Harish Thakur 2008) In 1979, Ladakh was divided into two separate districts - Leh and Kargil. The resistance offered by the villagers for Zanskar valley of Buddhist majority area retention of generator resulted in police was retained in Kargil district for firing and indiscriminate lathi charge. administrative purpose, which When the generator was forcefully apprehended the Buddhist of Zanskar. withdrawn, people’s demand for the After the creation of Kargil district the judicial inquiry probe into police poison of blame game started between atrocities was not conceded. the two communities that Kargil People alleged that the police created on communal basis. atrocities were a part of conspiracy The Muslims of Kargil defend the hatched by district authorities in creation of district because of its collaboration with the high rank faraway geographical location from politicians of Kashmir to suppress the Buddhist dominated area of Leh. The voice of the people of Zanskar raised Buddhists of Zanskar feel they are earlier against the ill-treatment and lack discriminated against by the majority of development facilities. (Kaul: 1992, Muslim population in the district of pp.268-9). However, in the process the Kargil. Buddhists in Zanskar complain political leaders of the two communities about the lack of government services engaged behind the scene to politicize to them from Kargil, just as the ones in the issue for a selfish political interest, Leh complain about the discrimination which escalated the tension. Some by the Muslim Government of the state fundamentalists belonging to both the of Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar. Mr. P. communities had waited for such an Namgayal, MP from Ladakh stated in opportunity to blow up communalism in the Lok Sabha, that Sheikh Abdullah’s the region. In era of 80s in Kargil, the government’s bifurcation of Ladakh into minority Buddhists claimed the ruins of Buddhist Leh and Kargil Muslim districts monastery in Kargil town, near general washed off the centuries old hospital; they desired to renovate the cohesiveness and secular image of the monastery into a new one. However, on region. (Kaul 1992. pp- 263). the other side, majority Muslims opposed their claims; since then, the A minor incident that took place in place and ruins was declared disputed Zanskar on 1 September 1980 assumed by authorities and till now remains serious proportions. The trouble arose unsolved. when the people of Karsha village demanded the retention of a diesel The older generation consider 1989 as a generator brought to the village during turning point between Buddhist and His Holiness Dalai Lama’s visit. The Muslim relations in Ladakh. A scuffle 3 3 COMMUNAL DIVIDE IN KARGIL & LEH 4 between a Buddhist youth and four Development Council by the Buddhists Muslims in Leh on July 1989 set off a big of Leh, in the name of Ladakh, without protest in Leh. This incident resulted in consulting the political and religious clashes in Leh town, which later spread leaders of Kargil. This intensified doubts to other parts of Leh district. There was and suspicions in the minds of the latter. police firing and some protesters were killed. (Sikand, Yoginder 2010). After the In February 2006 there were more violence, partial damage had been tensions between the two communities, done to the properties of the famous when some miscreants allegedly Hemis Monastery. desecrated the Holy Quran in Bodh Kharbo village near national highway During the same year in many villages towards Leh. (Balraj, Puri, 2006). of Leh, some Muslims were forcefully Desecration of the Holy Quran converted into Buddhist fold and a increased the violence in Kargil where heavy loss was suffered by Muslims in many shops and properties of Buddhists Buddhist dominated region of Leh. (Kaul were damaged. 1992, pp. 304-305). All these communal strains reached a climax in 1989, when On the other side Shia men who had the LBA (Ladakh Buddhist Association) gathered at Leh’s Imambara for first initiated a dangerous social and Muharram procession began to force commercial boycott movement for shops in the city bazaar to shut down. three years vis-à-vis the Muslims which Stones were thrown at Muharram strained the centuries old communal procession in Leh during the same harmony between the two month, where Muslims’ own houses communities.