Ladakh Battles for Identity

After the abrogation of Article 370. Ladakhi leaders hoped the government would act to protect their tribal identity

THOUSANDS of Ladakhis thronged the iconic Polo Ground at Leh earlier this month in the dead of winter. Temperatures had dropped to -20 degrees Celsius, but people kept streaming onto the open snow-covered grounds of one of the highest polo facilities in the world on February 3. For them, the pressing concern of preserving the region’s tribal identity far outweighed the challenging subzero temperatures.

With Ladakh boasting a 97 per cent tribal population, Sonam Wangchuk, a renowned Ladakhi innovator, passionately championed the cause amid the mind-numbing cold, making a case for what he believes is a “battle for truth”.

At the Polo Ground that day, Wangchuk addressed thousands of Ladakhis, emphasising the importance of preserving tribal identity, resources and mountains. He highlighted the Aryan Valley, home to the Brokpa tribe, stressing the need to safeguard their culture through the Sixth Schedule, which protects them from all threats, including internal ones. Legend has it that the Brokpa are descendants of Alexander the Great’s lost army who chose to stay on after the Macedonian king’s conquest of the Indus River Valley.

In late January, Ladakhi leaders objected to renaming health centres as mandirs, just a few months after the central health ministry decided to rename Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and prominent Muslim organisations in Kargil opposed this decision. Chering Dorjey, the acting president of the LBA, criticised the central ministry’s decision as disrespectful to Ladakhi sentiments. “If your language, culture and identity are not safe, what is left?” argued Karbali.