On 72 Republic Day Ladakh got the opportunity to showcase its own debut at the Republic Day parade. The tableau of Ladakh led the cultural tableaus and became the first-ever tableau from Ladakh to showcase at national platform since it curved out from erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir.

The tableau from Ladakh with the theme “vision to future” depicted the iconic Thiksey monastery located at a top of a hill and the carbon-neutral vision of newly created UT Ladakh with that it also glorified the culture and religion of the Buddhist community of Ladakh. 

This day could have been an important day in the history of Ladakh but it won’t happen because the tableau displayed on the republic day parade contains the culture and religion of the Buddhist majority Leh district of Ladakh only. Unfortunately, it completely alienated the Muslim majority district of Kargil as well as its religious and cultural sites in the tableau. Though Muslims being the majority population in Ladakh could not find their deserved space at its first-ever national showcase. People and the leadership of the Kargil district expressed their resentment and anger for ignoring their cultural heritage and religion in the tableau.

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Feroz khan chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil [LAHDC] has written a letter to the LT Governor R K Mathur protesting that Kargil culture and religious symbol has been ignored. In the letter, Feroz khan has also stated that the tableau fails to feature the rich and diverse cultural fabric of Ladakh.

Whereas the Kargil district of Ladakh is bestowed with diverse socio-ethnic culture and religion. It is home to many tribes like Sheena, Balti, Purgi, and Dard Aryans. The culture, customs, and religion of these tribes are unique and worthy to be showcased.

Dard Aryan the only pure red Aryans race in the world is found in the Kargil district of Ladakh and is famous across the world for their magnificent culture and customs. Every year thousands of foreign tourists probably from European states visit this minority community just to know their cultural legacy. Besides these Kargil district is a place of martyrs. Many brave Indian soldiers have lost their lives fighting against enemies. It has been a battleground during the Kargil war due to that it has plenty of war symbols like tiger hill, Tolloling hills, and Kargil war memorial. All these are famous tourist attraction places located at world 2nd coldest places Drass. Kargil war memorial built in pink stones commemorates the martyrdom of Indian armies who lost their lives in the Kargil war of 1999. They could have showcased any of these war symbols but unfortunately, the so-called nationalist BJP led govt. ignored all these sacred places of Kargil district.

The resentment and anger of the people of Kargil are obvious because this wasn’t the first time they have been ignored. This continuation of discrimination started since Ladakh becomes union territory. The Leh centric politics has side-lined the rest of parts of Ladakh.

In the early days when Ladakh became union territory, the people from Kargil presented their demands before the union territory administration. One of the primary demands was the rotational basis of headquarter between Leh and Kargil. Unfortunately, this particular demand by Kargilis of the equal share was also nullified and rejected. This rejection outraged Kargilis; various protests and rallies were held against the government’s decision to sworn Leh as the capital for Ladakh but rallies and protests paid nothing and the government stood firm to its decision.

After tableau row, the central government’s decision to establish a central university at Leh district of the union territory of Ladakh has again created confusion, distress, and anger among the people of Kargil. Students fraternity, social activist, and religious organization spoke out demanding reconsideration of site selection and it should be convenient for the students of both of the district. I would say that the resentment and anger of Kagilis are genuine because Ladakh is not only Leh; it has Kargil also. So ignoring and marginalizing Kargil is unfair and injustices with the Muslim population. Because without Kargil Ladakh is incomplete. It must say there were many important religious and cultural heritage sites in Kargil which could have been displayed in tableau.