Srinagar, Sept 25 (JKNS): National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that the recent turmoil in Ladakh was the direct result of unfulfilled assurances on Sixth Schedule safeguards and statehood, and not the handiwork of any outside elements.
Speaking to reporters at Nawa-e-Subha in Srinagar, Abdullah as pwr news agency JKNS said residents of Ladakh had been staging peaceful protests for the last five years. “Their leader even marched from Leh to Delhi barefoot, yet their demands were ignored. This long silence from authorities pushed the youth towards anger and ultimately violence,” he said.
The NC leader noted that assurances on jobs and development had raised expectations among the younger generation. “When those commitments proved hollow, they took to the streets in frustration. Offices were torched, police vehicles set ablaze, and clashes broke out. Four lives have been lost, while dozens remain hospitalized with serious injuries,” he remarked.
Calling it a dangerous development for the country, Abdullah warned, “This is a sensitive frontier region where China has already occupied vast tracts of land. Any unrest here poses a grave threat to national security.”
Rejecting claims of foreign instigation, he asserted, “I am convinced no external force is behind these incidents. This is purely the voice of the local population.” He added that the Centre must take lessons from Ladakh, recalling that similar promises of statehood were made to Jammu and Kashmir after delimitation and elections.
Abdullah also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, extended condolences to the bereaved families, and urged the government to resolve the crisis through dialogue without further delay. (JKNS)
