Bike rental unions at odds, Anurag Thakur to help resolve dispute

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, May 13

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur has agreed to help in resolving the ongoing tussle between the Bikers’ Association, Manali, and Ladakh Bike Rental Cooperative Limited.

A delegation of the Bikers’ Association met Anurag at Manali yesterday and apprised him of the differences with Ladakh Bike Rental Cooperative Limited that had emerged last year but had not been resolved to date.

Bikers’ association president Rajesh Kumar said both bodies were not allowing entry to bikes in each other’s area. He added that due to the differences, tourists were facing a lot of trouble and the business was also suffering. Bikers from Manali were able to go till Sarchu only.

Rajesh informed the minister that they were ready to allow bikes from Leh-Ladakh to come to Himachal but that was not the case with their counterpart in Ladakh. He said that the Manali-Leh road was about to be restored to traffic. “If the dispute is resolved, tourists will be able to enjoy their journey on the Manali-Leh route,” he added.

The ongoing border dispute between Himachal and the Union Territory of Ladakh since July 2014 has not ended with the point of contention being Sarchu on the Manali-Leh highway. The dispute erupted when the J&K Police set up a post at Sarchu for Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama’s “Kaalchakra” initiation in Ladakh. The Himachal Government had claimed that the police post was set up inside its territory. In 2019, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had raised the matter with the Central Government, but to no avail.

Residents of the Lahaul valley apprehend that if the matter is not resolved, it could trigger scuffles between residents of the two regions.

CONTROVERSY ERUPTED IN 2018

• The row started in 2018 after bike rental unions of Manali and Ladakh barred the entry of bikers in each other’s territory
• In 2022, the dispute was mutually settled by the two unions by signing an MoU, allowing entry to bikers in each other’s territory
• As per the pact, Manali bikes were allowed till Leh only & not its tourist places; Leh people weren’t able to rent bikes in Manali
• On July 9, 2022, Leh people alleged violation of the MoU by the bikers of Manali, who refuted the allegations