SRINAGAR: Two days after the sanctioning of five new districts for Ladakh by Lt Governor V K Saxena, taking the total number of districts in the cold desert region to seven, Muslim majority Kargil district has emerged as the largest district with 80 revenue villages.
In contrast, Buddhist majority Leh district comprises a significantly smaller 44 revenue villages, bringing into focus stark contrasts and sparking debate on administrative balance.
As per the official Gazette notification, the newly created districts include Sham with 27 revenue villages, Changthang with 24 revenue villages, Nubra comprising 30 revenue villages, Zanskar with 26 revenue villages, and Drass with 19 revenue villages.
Earlier, the Union Territory of Ladakh had only two districts, Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil.
As per the 2011 Census, Ladakh has a population of 2.74 lakh, including 140,802 in Kargil and 133,487 in Leh.
Mustafa Haji, a lawyer from Kargil, in a post on X said, “80 revenue villages in just one district!!”
“I would like to understand how this is not ghettoisation of the Muslim majority of Kargil,” he questioned.
CEC, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil, Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, while welcoming the creation of new districts, expressed strong resentment over the exclusion of Sankoo Sub Division and Shakar Chiktan Shargole Sub Division.
“This exclusion is deeply unfortunate and cannot be overlooked,” he said.
According to Akhoon, Sankoo is one of the oldest and most densely populated sub divisions of Kargil, fully deserving district status.
“Shakar Chiktan Shargole equally merits the same recognition. Their omission is a matter of serious concern for LAHDC Kargil,” he said.
The CEC LAHDC Kargil said Kargil district has 80 villages remaining while Leh has 44.
“Kargil, given its population and geographic expanse, deserves greater administrative relief. Village allocation among newly created districts appears arbitrary and lacks transparent justification,” he said.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Ladakh LG to ensure immediate separate notification for Sankoo and Shakar Chiktan Shargole as new districts.
Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, in a post on X, said, “The Government has created five new districts in Ladakh. There are now seven instead of two districts. The Government wants to divide the unified statehood movement of Buddhists and Muslims.”
“This is another gerrymandering in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
According to the MP, as per the 2011 Census, Ladakh has 46.40 per cent Muslims and 39.65 per cent Buddhist population out of the total population of 2,74,289.
“Out of the seven districts, five are Buddhist majority, only two are Muslim. Basically five districts for 39.65 per cent population and only two districts for 46.40 per cent population,” added Owaisi.