In all the drama about Jammu and Kashmir, everyone forgot the new baby. Ladakh is our baby UT. Beautiful Ladakh never wanted to be ignored.
Their development, their developmental, political aspirations were stamped under lack of political will.
Beautiful people, a cold dessert, but the language was not recognized, the identity was confusing. An unforgettable land where people wanted the same things as you and me. They wanted to feel like they belonged, wanted to build a better future. But they lacked so many things which you and I took for granted.
A good school
Good colleges
Good University
Good hospitals. Work opportunity and a better life seemed to be on the other side, just beyond their reach.No one talked about them, it was always the happening next-door neighbor. The neighbor controlled everything. The purse-string and the fruitation of their aspirations.
Article 370 meant only people of J and K could work in J and K.Even in central jobs only people of J and K could be posted.
I was surprised that the beautiful roads in Leh were empty. The shops were basic. Talking to people we realized the terrain made for a low population, but jobs and entrepreneurship help was even lesser.
370 had to go. Doing the same things for seventy years, yielded roughly the same result. It’s time to make a change .Adapting to change and embracing the new today is a good idea, just like Ladakh did. I sincerely hope all the politicians who are busy causing chaos over J and K, realize this. Their children were educated outside Kashmir. If they cared about J and K ‘S people, they would have focussed on building schools,colleges, and hospitals and stopped the stone-throwing business long back. A few people with vested interest tried destroying the youth for their petty gains. Terrorism helped make a few rich in J and K. If you trace their trajectory and their wealth, you will find the answer to why J and K had so much trouble.
In Ladakh, we stayed at the Grand Dragon. A stunning hotel whose staff helped us get settled down. Our trip was of very short duration and acclimatization needs time. I was already under the weather and on the way I wrote this post.
Those cold stark mountains. The views of the snow-capped mountains looked close by. But was far away. Ladakh is far away. So is Jammu and Kashmir, but now is the time to help the people in whichever way we can.
I hear you. You want to help. Now you can. Keep your eyes open that when you can you can. Help open educational and healthcare institutions.
Social justice prosperity and peace takes a long time. But a start is needed. We started finally after so many years of Independence Ladakh will finally have a voice. As Marie Forleo famously says
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It’s important to have the political will and the inner strength, that only optimism brings. There will always be naysayers, you need to focus on the big picture of a united India! Faiths and religions are not above humanity. Human aspirations everywhere are the same! I wonder why no one is talking about what the people of Ladakh want? Is their voice not important too?
We want peace, harmony and our children to be happy, healthy and well-fed and have wisdom. That needs some work and now we can say India remembers and just time doesn’t make wrongs right! Neither does multiple wrongs make right. Finally, India stopped paying the price for past mistakes. Its time to make some changes.For the better!