PROTEST: Ladakh Buddhist Association Organises Ladakh Bandh

Leh, December 7, 2012: A mammoth peace march cum Ladakh Bandh, was organised here by the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) at the Polo Ground in the heart of the city which was attended by more than 5,000 people.

It began in a large procession under sub-zero temperature starting from the Chokhang Vihara and culminated at the Polo Ground.

The peace march was organised in protest against the merciless and brutal beating of the innocent people of Zanskar in Kargil district by the police authorities wherein  around 35 people, mostly women, were severely injured and hospitalised. The people of Zanskar  have been repeatedly subjected to communal favoritism, prejudice, negligence and deception by the local administration in providing a fair, equal and  unbiased treatment to the Buddhist community of Zanskar.

A responsive administration is expected to fairly and spontaneously redress the grievances of the aggrieved society irrespective of any religious background but sadly it has been maintaining a deafening silence  on highly contemptuous issues like religious tolerance.

Whereas the Buddhist communities are always peace loving, non-violent and strive for communal amity and tolerance unless their religious sentiments are hurt and not respected. In the recent incident of November 26 when the local police authority headed by IRAP Deputy S P Kumar in Padum Zanskar, indulged in fishing in the highly religious and sacred holy pond located in Sani village. Great Buddhist Masters like Guru Padmasambhava had meditated at this site and thus is believed to be highly sacred and sanctified and has also been recognised as a heritage site. Any disturbance to this holy site, attracts immediate reaction from the local populace.

Respecting the authorities of the police who are supposed to be the guardians and sentinels of peace and tranquility in the area, the people humbly and modestly requested the police personnel to avoid catching fish from the holy pond which is banned by the local authorities of the Fishery Department also, that has declared it as a reserved sanctuary with clear hoardings of warning on the pond site. Despite of their repeated requests, the police personnel, deliberately continued fishing in the holy pond for 3 to 4 consecutive days.

Upon resentment from the local people, the police lathi charged the peacefully protesting innocent villagers. The local Buddhists hoteliers were allegedly mercilessly beaten and manhandled for reasons not known to them which was a clear indication of the highhandedness of the police. Such are the prejudicial and highly discriminatory treatment doled out to the Buddhist minority of Zanskar region where the lives of the innocent people are constantly at stake because of the alleged inaction and ineffective functioning of the administration and repeated intimidation and harassment by the police on the Buddhist population.

Tsewang Thinles, Vice President, LBA, Leh-Ladakh (J&K) demanded in a statement: “LBA demands a high level probe by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India into the incident and punish the erring police personnel who are bent upon creating communal disturbance and disturb the peace and tranquility of the region.

According to Thinles, “The LBA demands immediate repatriation of the local police, initiate action against IRAP Deputy S.P. Kumar, immediate deployment of Army/CRPF in Zanskar region for protection of the lives of the peace loving Buddhist people  as the local police authorities”.

Further, he said, “We have no confidence in the administration,action against government employee who raised slogans favoring Pakistan, like “Pakistan Zindabad” and fired twice in the air that scarred the local people to their limits, Immediate transfer of Tehsildar Zanskar Nasir Ahmad Shah. Seeing such situation, the Buddhist communities, seek protection for all our Buddhists residing in Srinagar.”