Relevance of Hind Swaraj based demand of Sixth Schedule in Ladakh

 

Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, looking for an ideal and routine life with focus on rural activities, where simplicity and agricultural driven society is preferred. Gandhi’s focuses on progress of society within simple way of life with gradual evolution. 

Retrospectively, the mighty Himalaya have civilization processes which has driven their history of settlement and culture from Indus valley, the Indus tributaries like Shayok, Zanskar, Suru which further strengthen its history and linkage of civilization. In the settled history, there have been numerous rulers who established different norms and traditions and flooded into the silent valley of Ladakh. The basic theme of the political history was people learnt culture of self governance and self reliance. The people of Ladakh have experienced of local autonomy from the centuries. The governance of the local self governance in Ladakh region has little information. The practices of governance in Ladakh were mostly influenced from different countryside of Central Asia mostly from Tibet. Although, the institutions of villages such as Goba, Member, Gonpa/Masjid, Ama Tsogspa, Kutwal, Lora, Chures/ Churpon, and Nyerpa etc. are the reflection of traditional Ladakh’s political and social system for service delivery mechanism. The old tales, engraved rock, and wall painting and writing are available sources about local governance and social system. The century’s tradition of grievances redressal through village’s headman who appointed for period of times is known about earlier local governance system. Village life was simple and authority of governing system handled by village headman. Now, the modern pattern of life is in metaphysical stages in Ladakh.

Contemporary Ladakh can be defined in oxymoron definition in which both traditional and modern way of life functions simultaneously. In a microscopic view, a family is in transitional stages where younger generations are influenced by e-waves, but traditional system also influencing in their daily activities. Inductively, such phenomenon appears in every institution in Ladakh. In order to strengthen rural institutions, Government of India also introduced various schemes and programmes with multiple mechanism of governance from UT level to Panch system of Hamlet.

Gandhian Hind Swaraj may compare with the life style of tribal areas where his ideal life appears. The set up of sixth scheduled is more convenient to his ideal village. Gandhi was against then modern development and civilization (Railway Project, electricity, Machine and Industry), he stated that modern development lead to unforeseen misfortunes to sustainable life. The recent protesters in Ladakh for Sixth Scheduled also used Gandhian method like Hunger strike, Pad Yatra, Non Cooperation Movement, Gandhian Dialogue etc. 

When we are talking about Mahatma Gandhi, we often connote him to be seeker of non-violence, truth, and simplicity. Some of his methods to achieve his objective were Satyagraha and Ahimsa. Gandhi was famous for practical applicability of his ideas through freedom struggle of India during British rules through non-cooperation movement, salt Satyagraha, quit India movement. Further his living with simplicity, dialogue through peace, believe on truth and fearlessness through satyagraha entail him to quote like “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind” and “hate the evil not evil doer”. Since, Gandhi’s idealism is applicable in every segment of religion, politics, market, cottage, health, administration, governance, faith, science, logic, environment, hoard, pauper and wanderer etc. And the society of Ladakh is consisted of all such segment from religion to wanderer. Therefore, everyone could fit Gandhi’s idea into their purpose of life. 

The most popular tabled ideas of Gandhi were he urged for simplicity and agrarian society. He emphasized to minimum use of vehicle, walk by foot in both short and long distant, minimize extra desire, communal harmony and celebration of local events, and maximum uses of local/vernacular language etc. The similar ideas were preferred by local Ladakh in terms of local culture, tribes and ritual, protection of environment through practicing traditional way of life. The demand for six schedules by native of Ladakh is envisioned to achieve the Gandhain philosophy which is as simple as Buddha’s concept of four noble truths and eight right paths, it sound simple and practical. But when it comes to practice, it is harden to achieve because of prerequisite factors appears before us.

India after Gandhi often held debates on the relevance of his ideas, although the seeds of relevancy even discussed since from his leadership. Dr. Ambedkar was one of them to discuss relevancy particularly the Gandhian concept of Harijan. In constitutional debates, Dr. Ambedkar brought to front the anomalies of devolution of power to manage their own affairs. Dr. B R Ambedkar preferred centralised governance over localized one as he was concerned that minorities and lower castes would be dominated or overshadowed by upper castes and dogmatic religious believers. 

In Ladakh, same pattern of governance as per any other part of India is replicated on the diverse socio-geographical condition on the region. The system of governance is depends upon local level developments of civic culture. The work culture of stakeholders and people mould the local governance of Ladakh whether it is far flung areas or town related villages. Contemporary India required both aspect in which local affairs run without any form of dominations, the values of freedom, equality, liberty, and right should be prevailed along with central government moderation should always be there for availing of all values would be just and develop society.

Discourse on Six Schedules between Development and Preservation

If the people of Ladakh demand six schedule in context to Gandhian concept of Hind Swaraj. There is huge challenges appeared before us that the present pattern of life styles chosen by native of Ladakh to run behinds sudden development in aspire to have equal space and opportunities in every developmental sector. Although, these aspiration is universal truth, and then inevitable interference on absolute power is also a universal truth. In these context, Gandhian Swaraj somewhere hurdle by interference of centralized control in aspect to modulate peace, security, sovereignty, and over all sustainity. We even can’t abnegate requirements of will of central power for its sustainity, like a family Head has its own dignity to manage family affairs even if ‘The Child Is Father of Man’. The piety of Gandhian Hind Swaraj lies in the intensity of sovereignty of a nation. 

The hard core values of traditionality have been evidences of transmogrified including in sixth schedules areas. The common queries juxtaposing among Ladakhi are the roles of Autonomous/District/Regional Hill Councils in advancing the Governance and preservation of respective cultures, Status of affects of assimilation and acculturation in tribal area particularly sixth Scheduled area. The Governmental record answered with reference to Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram’s Government, is District Council plays an important role in the preservation of the indigenous cultures of the State and other concerns task of the appointment or succession of Chiefs or Headmen of an administrative area, the inheritance of property, marriage and divorce and social customs. The Ministry of Home Affairs informed that Ministry is deals with legislative aspects of the Autonomous Districts set up under Sixth Schedule, the centralized data is not within the ambit to examine the aspects of assimilation and acculturation. This data revealed us that choice of people can’t be suppressed because market overtakes the taste of people. Ladakh has also huge evidence that cultural pattern of Ladakh merge into diverse direction. The another paradox of Ladakh in demand of Sixth Scheduled are deviation of standard demands into religion, political, regional, and vested interest. It further leads to hypocritical and selfishness with talking shop of the world.

Conclusion

In context to Indian democratic system, Constitutional norms stated that Article 1 has mentioned India is Union of States, constitutional experts recognized as quasi federal or burgeoning federalism. It indicates that despite 73rd and 74th amendment India is still union government lead Government, to many extend it is essential for central common vision for nation development along with maintenances of diversities. 

Indian sages whether it is philosophy, scientific data, speculative ideas, spiritual messages, experiment based observations or any unprecedented data has common values for Indian progress. The central decision maker must heard the all voice including the tall leaders of modern India from Nehru, Mualana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Sardar Vallab Bhia Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Atal Bihari Vajpaye, Dr. Manmohan sigh, to Narendra Modi. Similar in avenue of Democracy at regional aspect the collective voice without pre-settled ideas must applied with focus to national interest.