Buddhist rally in Ladakh for building monastery called off

Administration intervened to stop peace march by monk

A clash between Muslims and Buddhists of the Ladakh Union Territory (UT) was averted on Monday after a march by a monk towards Kargil town to set up a monastery was called off on the intervention of the administration.

Officials said the L-G administration intervened to stop the ‘peace march’ by an independent monk, Choskyong Palga Rinpoche, who started a ‘paad yatra’ earlier this month. Rinpoche was stopped at Mulbek, around 35 km away from the Kargil town, on Monday. 

Rinpoche is agitating to set up a monastery in Kargil, as envisaged in an order issued in 1961. However, the move was opposed by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), an amalgam of several religious and political parties based in Muslim-Majority Kargil.  

Sources said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was apprised about the issue and its ramifications.

“We thank the Lieutenant Governor and the deputy commissioner for their role in stopping the so-called peace march, which had potential to stoke passions and fuel tension between the two communities,” Sajjad Kargili, a KDA member, told  The Hindu. 

He said a deliberate attempt was being made to divide and create fault lines in the UT. “We seek an amicable solution to the issue. We are in touch with the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Leh, to find a solution,” he added.

In 1961, a piece of land was earmarked for the construction of a monastery in Kargil. The move, however, was opposed by the Muslims in Kargil, who said no Buddhists reside in the town which is home to Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and the Islamia School Kargil (ISK).