But first, a quick historical background to the decision of the political representatives of Leh and Kargil.
Ladakh, which includes both Leh and Kargil, was easily the largest territorial district in India until more than forty years ago. While the two districts occasionally made different choices, there was significant solidarity between them. The political divide between India’s then-largest district began in 1979, when the single district was divided into Leh and Kargil districts, highlighting, respectively, their Buddhist and Muslim majorities. The next step towards the centralisation of Ladakh’s power structure came in 1995, when the two districts were individually designated Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC), along the lines of the Gorkha Hill Council. Leh grabbed it, but Kargil demurred until 2003.
The current demand for Union Territory status was initiated in Leh District during the 2002 Jammu & Kashmir state elections. Translated, this meant a demand…