DR. TONDUP Tsewang President Ladakh Buddhist Association Leh writes memo to President on violence in Zanskar

Chandigarh, July 22, 2013: Dr. Tondup Tsewang, President, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Leh has sent a memorandum to Pranab Mukherjee President of India, regarding firing, brutal beating, lathi-charge and atrocity by police in Zanskar.

The memorandum reads that the people of Zanskar have been repeatedly subjected to communal favouritism, prejudice, negligence and deception by the District Administration in providing a fair, equal and unbiased treatment to the Buddhist community. 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 a highly contentious issue like religious tolerance. Whereas the Buddhist communities are always peace loving, non-violent and strives for communal amity and tolerance unless their religious sentiments are hurt.

This time again, curfew has been clamped in Padum town of Zanskar Sub-Division of Kargil District in the Ladakh region after a Buddhist girl was kidnapped. On the protest of the local Buddhist community, the administration managed to trace the girl at Srinagar, Kashmir but instead of handing over the girl to the family and relatives, she was kept in police custody initially at Kargil town and later after great pursuation, was taken to Padum Zanskar. Soon after arrival at Padum, the girl ought to be handed over to the family and relatives but instead was once again kept in police custody at Padum Zanskar. Had the administration handed over the girl in the first instant, such a repulsive situation would have been avoided.

Members of the family and relatives of the girl were not allowed to meet the girl which led to an ugly situation. The whole episode seems to be a pre-planned conspiracy of few anti-social elements in connivance with the state police.

Further, the memorandum stated that some youths, in connivance with the police, beat up the Buddhists, entered innocent Buddhist houses and ransacked dozens of them, dragged women, children and Monks out of their houses for the whole day and is still continuing in Padum and adjoining areas. Restaurants, hotels and shops were damaged and a huge prayer wheel has been irreparably damaged.  When the local Buddhist people protested against this sacrilege, police resorted to lathi charge and fired upon the peaceful demonstrators causing injury to a Buddhist youth who has been evacuated to Kargil instantly.

It was apparent and understandable that these belligerent police people and the anti social miscreants, had much more malevolent and malicious intentions of igniting communal disturbance. The local authorities and the state government are shielding such anti social elements and igniting situation to such an extent leading to the present surcharged atmosphere. Instead of taking effective measures to control the situation, it is igniting fire and adding fuel to the mob violence.  Mischievous sections jump into the fray to grind their own axe in connivance with the state police.

Till late last night (July 20, 2013), the girl was not handed over to the Buddhist family and is still in police custody and curfew is still clamped in the Padum town.

In the above unfortunate situation, the J&K Government in particular and the central government in general, is called upon to intervene in the matter forthwith to immediately hand over the girl to her family/relatives so that the situation is calmed down amicably before it gets out of control and engulfs the whole of Ladakh region.

The Ladakh Buddhist Association therefore, demands a high level probe by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. 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. We also demand the immediate deployment of Army in Zanskar region in place of the local police for protection of the lives of the peace loving Buddhist people.

“At this crucial juncture, it is our earnest and most sincere appeal to your Excellency to intervene personally and direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to initiate a high level probe into the unfortunate incident and find out the real facts and underlying causes and punish the erring officials so that peace prevails in the region”, the memorandum further reads. 

The copies of the memorandum have also been sent among others to the Prime Minister, Chairperson UPA and Union Minister of Home Affairs.