Kargil Residents Oppose Five New Districts in Ladakh, Allege Move Fragments Statehood Movement

Residents of Kargil in Ladakh have expressed concern over the recent announcement of five new districts in the Union Territory stating that this was less of an administrative reform and more a calculated attempt to fragment the unified democratic and statehood movement. They also said that the current reorganization of districts results in five Buddhist majority districts and two Muslims majority districts which is skewed considering the 2011 census figures, which state the region has 46.40 percent Muslim and 39.65 percent Buddhist in the total of 2,74,289 population.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena on April 27, approved the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory, stating that the move would strengthen grassroots governance and decentralise administration. With the creation of five new districts — Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass — Ladakh now has seven districts, up from the existing two.

“This is an arbitrary and one sided decision which deepens the faultlines here. A Muslim majority UT has been administratively reduced to a minority. Areas like Sanku subdivision and Shakar Chiktan Shargole Sub-Division, with Muslim majority have been ignored and areas with much lower population have been given districts,” said Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K).

He said that this was the result of the handiwork of the last Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh–Jamyang Tsering Namgyal–who was from the BJP.

“This is unacceptable to us and we urge the Prime Minister and Home Minister to address our concerns and demands,” said Akhoon. He further said that “one district with Muslim population has 80 villages while another district has just around 40 or even less villages.”

“Tomorrow when funds will be allocated to districts or posts advertised, it would be heavily skewed in favor of a section of the population, which is unfair and unjust,” said Akhoon. He said that the finance commission rules clearly state that when new districts are formed population should be the major criteria–90 percent. “Here everything has been ignored. But we will keep fighting for our rights,” he said.

Similarly Sajjad Kargili, a prominent activist and political incharge of Jamiat Ulama e Islam Asna Ashria Kargil said that the decision by the GoI, to create five new districts in Ladakh appears less an administrative reform and more a calculated attempt “to fragment the unified democratic and statehood movement of the people of Ladakh, particularly the collective voice of both Buddhists and Muslims.”

“While we acknowledge that regions such as Drass and Zanskar from Kargil region have long-standing demands for district status and we welcome their inclusion, the overall approach adopted by the Government raises serious concerns,” said Kargili adding, “The process has clearly ignored regional sensitivities, demographic realities, and principles of equitable representation.”

Kargili said that the current reorganization results in five Buddhist-majority districts and only two Muslim-majority districts. “This disproportionate distribution reflects a deeply skewed and discriminatory approach, undermining the spirit of fairness and inclusivity. Such actions risk deepening divisions and evoke troubling parallels with communal lines of division that history has shown to be dangerous,” he said.

He reiterated that the people of Kargil strongly oppose this arbitrary and insensitive restructuring. “We stand in full solidarity with the people of Sankoo-Suru and Shakar Chiktan, and reaffirm our unwavering support for their rightful aspirations. Ladakh’s strength lies in its unity and diversity—any attempt to divide its people along communal or regional lines must be resisted firmly,” he said.

Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh, Mohmad Haneefa Jan welcomed the creation of the new districts but also urged the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh to fulfil the demands of the regions of Sanku and Shakar–Chiktan–Shargole.

“The long-standing demand of the people of Ladakh for the creation of new districts has finally been realised. This marks a significant step towards strengthening grassroots governance and accelerating development in the region. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Ladakh, especially those in the newly created districts of Nubra, Zanskar, Drass, Sham, and Changthang, on this historic milestone,” said Jan.