Amid communal tension in Kargil, monk cancels march

Arjun Sharma

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Jammu, June 13

Amid tension in Ladakh after a monk, along with his followers, announced a march to lay foundation stone of a Buddhist monastery in Muslim-dominated Kargil, the event has been cancelled. The administration, through MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, had requested Choskyong Palga Rinpoche to cancel the event. It has been learnt that the situation is being monitored by the Union Minister of Home.

Rinpoche had started the journey with his followers on May 31 from Leh and was scheduled to lay foundation stone on a controversial piece of land in Kargil on June 14. The Tribune had reported as to how the unfolding events had created a tension between the Muslim and Buddhist communities of Ladakh.

At present, Rinpoche has been staying in Mulbek, a Buddhist-dominated village nearly 40 km from Kargil.

Sources informed that the Kargil police summoned members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), an amalgamation of social and religious organisations of Kargil, which had been opposing the march. The police asked the members to at least allow four to five members of the Buddhist community to reach the controversial 2-kanal land and perform a symbolic ‘puja’ without any hassle. The site hosts a makeshift monastery.

The KDA had earlier alleged that the Tibet-origin monk had intentions of damaging the communal harmony and peace in the area.

Buddhists have been demanding construction of a ‘gompa’ (monastery) for long. In 1961, the J&K government had allotted the land to the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) for a Buddhist temple. However, the then government modified the order in 1969 and stated that a structure only for commercial or residential purpose could be built there.

Skarma Dadul, chief of the LBA’s Kargil unit who was supporting the march, said the June 14 event had been called off and the authorities had promised to resolve the matter after taking everyone in confidence.

Row over monastery construction

• In 1961, the government allotted 2-kanal land to the Ladakh Buddhist Association for a temple. In 1969, it modified the order, stating that no religious structure could be built there.
• Along with followers, monk Choskyong Palga Rinpoche had begun a journey from Leh on May 31 to lay foundation stone of a monastery at the site on June 14.