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| Ladakhi politics wakes to new sunup | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 30: Away from the political hustle bustle of winter capital which is awaiting formation of new government, the Leh constituency of the trans-Himalayan enclave has scripted a history of sorts by retuning Nawang Rigzin Jora to the assembly.
The 53 year old upright Nawang Rigzin is an honourable exception among the large army of coalition ministers who suffered a humiliating defeat in these elections. Much significantly, he defeated the sitting Member Parliament and the claimed champion of Ladakhi cause Thupstan Chhewang in a closely contested election.
Jora’s victory assumed added significance in showing as which Ladakhi politics is moving and particularly if seen in the context of change the politics has undergone in Leh between 2002 and 2008.
When last time Jora had entered the legislative assembly, there was no contest in Leh. The local units of all political parties were dissolved to give shape to the Ladakh Union Territory Front and Jora emerged as a consensus choice for the elections as such he won uncontested.
This time there was a contest as units of almost all parties stood revived and LUTF stood firm –though only in letter and not in spirit. Around 2002 Jora and Chhewang both were the leaders of the Ladakh Union Territory Front. The only difference was that people like Jora would work on the ground and Chhewang would wield power. This trend had to break on later on as many leaders of Ladakhi politics sought to come out of the umbrella of Chhewang for his reported disconnect from the public and refusal to shun the royal attitude.
Even though being instrumental in election of Chhewang to Lok Sabha in 2004, Jora too came out of his cocoon and aligned with Congress. On Jora’s formal alignment with the Congress, Chhewang sought to make him an outcaste in Ladakhi politics by turning the Ladakh Budhist Association against him but this did not work. Locals say that punishment to a top LBA leader on according reception to Jora on becoming Power Minister in 2006 did not go well with people and their regards shifted towards Jora’s down to earth approach.
Jora’s victory against Chhewang had almost been ruled out by many but the locals are of the opinion that MP’s inaccessibility, royal flaunts and tendencies of taking things 600 years back made him to pay the price. “Chhewang royalty for his association with family of Ladakh’s erstwhile king has not gone well with people who want their leader to be with them in the hour of need”, said a Ladakhi student. He added, people of Ladakh and Budhists in particular want to open up to the world…while Rigzin Jora has been trying to show them the way, Chhewang wants to throw them back to the history”.
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