The Ladakh Crisis: Detention, Mistrust, and the Need for Statesmanship
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Sixth Schedule, Union Territories, National Security Act - NSA, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act - FCRA); Current Events of National Importance.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure; Role of civil society.
General Studies Paper 3 (Internal Security): Security challenges and their management in border areas; Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
Key Highlights from the News
The article argues that the detention of Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent social activist from Ladakh, under the National Security Act (NSA), has worsened the situation in Ladakh.
It is wrong to place full responsibility on Wangchuk for the violent incidents during the protests demanding Statehood and Sixth Schedule status.
While Wangchuk is in jail, government discussions with other leaders will lack legitimacy.
Critics see the cancellation of the FCRA license for SECMOL, an institution associated with Wangchuk, as an indication that central agencies are being used to target political opponents.
The Centre should address the concerns of the people of Ladakh, a strategically important border region, not through force, but through consideration and dialogue.
The article also warns that portraying the people of Ladakh as anti-national will harm national integration.
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