Nomadic population of Demchok have been protesting as the Army has not allowed them to move with their livesto... Read More

(This story originally appeared in on Aug 3, 2018)

Protests by the nomadic population village of Demchok, along Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh , over lack of infrastructure and basic facilities and the restrictions imposed by the Army to even construct toilets or graze cattle in their own territory, continues.

These protests, which have become routine, often go unnoticed and the grievances are never redressed. Demchok is one of the most vulnerable frontier villages, where threats of Chinese attack looms large and where the People’s Liberation Army often makes incursions triggering unrest.

Despite New Delhi’s claims of focus on Ladakh, residents in these border areas have been continuously complaining of official apathy. Over the past few days, the nomadic population of Demchok, around 230 km from Leh, have been protesting as the Army has not allowed them to move with their livestock to the upper reaches for grazing, according to sources in the government.

“The government is scared of China and this is why they are not developing their own area and putting their own citizens into perennial misery. MHA and the defence ministry is answerable to people of Demchok. Why isn’t Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas applied here,” Thupstan Wangchuk, a counsellor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, in whose constituency Demchok falls, told ET. The local police have also reported about the protests. However, Army sources in Srinagar, claim that there have been no protests in the village.

“We lack basic amenities of road, communication, electricity and ration. The Chinese have constructed three and four storey buildings on the other side. Our mobile phones catch signals of the Chinese networks,” said Wangchuk.

“Officials don’t allow us to build canals, they don’t allow grazing in our own land because Chinese army objects all the time. We are not able to do anything. This is cowardice and nothing else,” Wangchuk said. The Army officials, according to Wangchuk often show orders from defence and home ministries, saying that they cannot even allow the construction of a toilet.

