Boundary disputes to be taken up at council meet: CM

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 1

As territory disputes are arising repeatedly with Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Ladakh, Himachal has decided to raise all such issues at the next Northern Zonal Council meeting, likely to be held here this year.

“Such territory disputes do keep arising with our neighbouring states, so we have decided to raise these at the next Northern Zonal Council meeting scheduled this year,” said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. The state had offered to host the meeting, though the final decision in this regard was yet to be taken, he added. Thakur admitted that such territory disputes were continuing whether related to the Parwanoo-Kalka area with Haryana or in the Padri Jot area of Salooni subdivision in Chamba, which need to be settled across the table as these lead to tension among the people of the border areas. There is a lot of resentment among the residents of Sarchu and the Shinkula Pass in Lahaul and Spiti over encroachments by residents of Ladakh.

Lahaulites vs ladakhis

• People both from Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh set up camping sites and undertake business activities along the border areas in summers when this snow-bound area witnesses the arrival of tourists
• The Lahaul Eco Tourism Society has alleged that residents of Ladakh have set up camps almost 14 km in the Sarchu area and up to 35 km in Shinkula, inside Himachal’s territory.

Between claims and counter claims by two border states, the matter is generally settled on the basis of the Surveyor General of India’s report. The demand for demarcation of the boundary between Himachal and Ladakh is pending for the past over four years. Zila Parishad and panchayati raj institution representatives from Lahaul and Spiti have been demanding demarcation of the territory to put an end to all disputes.

There is bound to be conflicts as people from Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh set up camping sites and undertake business activities in the border areas during the summer when this snow-bound area witnesses the arrival of tourists. The Lahaul Eco Tourism Society has alleged that residents of Ladakh have set up camps almost 14 km in the Sarchu area and up to 35 km in Shinkula, inside Himachal’s territory.