Here is why Ladakh needs the Sixth Schedule and statehood

  • March 27, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Here is why Ladakh needs the Sixth Schedule and statehood

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian physical geography

Context:

  • Sonam Wangchuk, a celebrated environmentalist and innovator, decided to sit on a 21-day hunger strike to express the anguish of Ladakhis.
  • The Ladakhi leaders approached the MHA with four demands: 1) Statehood for Ladakh 2) Inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution 3) Setting up of a separate public service commission for Ladakh 4) Two parliamentary seats for Ladakh.

Challenges in Ladakh:

  • Region’s vulnerability to bureaucratic dominance and potential exploitation by industrial interests without adequate safeguards for its environment and people.
  • The dilution of the Autonomous Hill Councils’ authority.
  • Environmental and ecological challenges are characterized by low-density wildlife populations adapted to the extreme climate, scarce water resources, and a unique blend of Palearctic and Indo-Malayan biodiversity.
  • The ecological balance is further disturbed by pollution, climate change impacts on flora and fauna, and unsustainable practices that threaten traditional livelihoods and the region’s natural heritage.

Need for sixth schedule status:

  • Ladakh faces significant challenges, particularly after the administrative changes following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in 2019, which transitioned Ladakh into a Union Territory without a legislative body.
  • The region’s inhabitants, known for their frugality and sustainable living practices, are at a crossroads.
  • Civil society organizations and local bodies have advocated for Sixth Schedule status to provide constitutional safeguards, aiming to protect Ladakh’s delicate ecosystem and cultural integrity.
  • There is an urgent need for protective measures under the Sixth Schedule to ensure sustainable development, safeguard the environment, and preserve Ladakh’s cultural and natural heritage.
  • Without such protection, the region risks irreversible damage, threatening its status as a unique and vibrant part of India’s and the world’s natural and cultural landscape.

Major lakes in Ladakh:

  • Pangong Tso
  • Tso Moriri (Ramsar site)
  • Tso Kar (Ramsar site)
  • Yaye Tso
  • Chagar Tso

Major protected areas in Ladakh:

  • Hemis National Park:
    • It is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. 
    • Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.
    • It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (largest National park) and the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas.
    • The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River and includes the catchments of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.
  • Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary:
    • Also known as the Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary or the Karakoram (Saichen Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the easternmost reaches of the Karakoram range in Leh district, in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh.
    • It was established in 1987 and covers an area of about 5,000 square kilometres (500,000 ha).
    • It is an important wildlife sanctuary due to being one of the few places in India with a migratory population of the Chiru or Tibetan Antelope.
    • It is classified as an IUCN-protected area (category IV) by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
    • The Botanical Survey of India has called the wildlife sanctuary an “under-explored area with regards to botanical knowledge”.
    • Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary could become the “transboundary counterpart” of the Central Karakoram National Park in Gilgit Baltistan.
  • Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site):
    • It is located in the Changthang Plateau. It has one of the highest lakes on earth, Tso Moriri (4595 m).
    • Korzok monastery (Korzok village) is located on the north-western bank of Tso Moriri.
    • Major Fauna: Snow leopard, kiang or Tibetan Wild Ass (LC), argali or Great Tibetan Sheep (NT).
    • Hanle Dark Sky Reserve: It is located in DigpaRatsa Ri, aka Mt Saraswati, at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.

Source: DTE

Geography Here is why Ladakh needs the Sixth Schedule and statehood