Leh: Prominent leaders of Ladakh on Saturday made a fervent appeal to the Centre to declare the region a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its identity.
In a memorandum to Union minister Arjun Munda, Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said Ladakh is a predominantly tribal area with tribals making up to 98 percent of its population.
“After the Centre announced its decision to make Ladakh a Union Territory, the biggest concern of the tribal population here is to protect their identity, culture, land, and economy,” he said.
Namgyal appealed to the Union tribal affairs minister to declare it a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the interests of its people.
Based on Articles 244(2) and 275(1), the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, comprising of 21 separate articles, provide for adminstration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, after setting up autonomous distrct and regional councils.
“I appeal to you to make a representation to Home Minister Amit Shah on our behalf to protect the demography and culture of Ladakh,” he said.
At the launch of an Aadi Mahotsav edition on Saturday evening, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) chairman Gyal P Wangyal said their only demand is that Ladakh be brought under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution so that our land remains protected.
Addressing the tribal festival, Munda said, “I have got to know that tribals make up to 95 to 97 percent of Ladakh’s population and I promise you that we will do whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them.”
There are special provisions in the Constitution for the administration of the tribal-dominated areas in four states–Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
As per Article 244 and the sixth schedule, these areas are called “Tribal Areas”, which are technically different from the “Scheduled Areas” under the fifth schedule. (PTI)
