Kargil – November 10: Voicing unanimous resentment against the proposed conduct of local democratic polls amid freezing temperatures, Member of Parliament for Ladakh, Haji Hanifa Jan, alongside representatives of major political parties, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), and civil society unions, called for a complete general shutdown across Kargil on Tuesday, November 10.
The collective shutdown call has been issued to protest the proposed schedule for conducting the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil elections during December, a period characterized by severe sub-zero weather, heavy snowfall, and the seasonal closure of high mountain passes connecting the high-altitude district.
Addressing a joint press conference in Kargil, prominent KDA leader Sajad Kargili highlighted that holding municipal or council elections in the dead of winter imposes severe logistical hardships on voters. He explained that a substantial portion of Kargil’s population migrates to warmer regions outside Ladakh—including Jammu, Srinagar, and Delhi—during the harsh winter months, warning that holding elections in December would trigger massive voter disenfranchisement and suppress democratic turnout.
Reinforcing these concerns, MP Haji Hanifa Jan urged the Union Territory administration and the State Election Commission to account for the unique geographic, topographic, and climatic realities of Ladakh before finalizing polling dates. “Democracy requires maximum public participation. Scheduling elections during peak winter, when roads are blocked and residents are displaced by weather conditions, defies practical logic and undermines grassroots representation,” Jan stated.
In addition to the day-long commercial shutdown, the joint coalition of political parties announced a massive evening candle-light march scheduled to take place after Maghrib prayers in Kargil town to demonstrate peaceful public solidarity against the winter election schedule.
Published by True Roots Media