SRINAGAR: Women’s groups in Ladakh, which are spearheading a campaign for a liquor ban in the Union Territory, have agreed to temporarily suspend their ongoing dharna for a week after the UT Administration agreed in principle to their recommendations on the liquor policy, including concerns over the recent expansion of liquor availability in the cold desert.
The religious women’s groups in Ladakh, including the women’s wings of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Anjuman-e-Imamia, Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam and the Christian community, have decided to temporarily suspend their protest from October 29 to November 5 after the Home Department conveyed the UT Administration’s assurance through a written response on October 29.
According to a statement issued by the women’s organisations, the UT Administration had requested one week’s time to finalise the agreement in view of the assurances and in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation.
The organisations stated that by suspending the dharna for a week, they had given the UT Administration an opportunity to fulfil its commitment and formalise all agreed-upon points in writing.
The suspension, they said, should be understood “as an expression of our faith in the administration’s assurance”.
In their communication to Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, the women’s organisations said the interim understanding had been reached after consultations among representatives of the religious women’s groups.
They reiterated that their long-term objective remained to make Ladakh a dry state and build a healthier society free from alcohol addiction.
The organisations said they had consistently engaged with the administration and other stakeholders to safeguard the future of young people, protect the region’s social fabric and preserve its distinctive cultural and spiritual values.
Expressing concern over recent decisions to expand liquor availability in the UT, they said the move had deeply hurt public sentiments, especially at a time when Ladakh was already grappling with very high unemployment.
“This visionless policy decision has anguished our hope for our prosperous future,” they said.
Explaining the rationale behind the interim understanding, the women’s organisations said it was a cautious step taken in the larger interest of society. They also referred to the possible consequences of an unregulated transition, including the circulation of substandard alternatives and the growth of black markets.
The women’s organisations asserted that the temporary understanding did not amount to abandoning their long-term commitment to a healthier Ladakh free from alcohol addiction.
Religious women’s groups in Ladakh have been staging a dharna for about a week, demanding a total ban on liquor in the cold desert.