Centre Has No Option But To Reunite Ladakh With Jammu And Kashmir, Says Minister Javed Rana

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Rana on Tuesday said that Ladakh will once again become part of a united J&K, asserting that the Centre has no other alternative. Rana, who holds the Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment, and Tribal Affairs portfolios, claimed, while responding to a question on demands for a separate state for the Jammu region.

“I believe that the day is not far when Ladakh will again become a part of Jammu and Kashmir, a united Jammu and Kashmir. The government of India does not have any other alternative,” Rana told reporters during an interaction with members of tribal communities.

He recalled that Jammu and Kashmir was once a full-fledged state. “You (Centre) gave one part to Pakistan. Gilgit-Baltistan was also given to Pakistan. You then separated Ladakh from it. What remains with us is Jammu and Kashmir. Those who divided this land now want to make Kanak Mandi (an area in Jammu) a state as well,” he said.

Rana added that there has been no such demand from the Pir Panjal or the erstwhile Chenab, saying, “Who will stop if a state is carved out of Kanak Mandi in Jammu?”

His comments come amid ongoing protests in Ladakh, where groups such as the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have been pressing for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has held several rounds of talks with representatives from the region and recently asked them to submit a fresh draft of demands. The Centre has indicated willingness to consider special provisions under Article 371, but Ladakh groups have insisted on Sixth Schedule status to protect land, jobs and culture.

The crisis in Ladakh has intensified in recent months, with demonstrations in Leh and Kargil demanding greater autonomy. In September last year, protests in Leh turned violent, leaving several people dead and dozens injured.

The civil society leaders have also sought the release of detained activists, including environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk.

The valley-based political leaders have repeatedly criticised the 2019 bifurcation of the erstwhile state, arguing that Ladakh was left without legislative powers and placed directly under the Union administration.

CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami has said the move weakened J&K and created instability in Ladakh. He has called for Ladakh’s reintegration with Jammu and Kashmir, citing the unrest and dissatisfaction in the region.

Pertinently, on August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Since then, Ladakh has witnessed multiple agitations over the absence of constitutional guarantees and a legislature, keeping the issue alive in national politics.

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