Ladakhis have braved bullets for nation: Home Minister Amit Shah on Buddha Purnima

Srinagar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the people of Ladakh have braved bullets for the nation and people across the country are grateful for their patriotism. Amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions, he said.

Shah visited Leh after seven years on the eve of Buddha Purnima when the sacred relics of Lord Buddha returned to Ladakh after 75 years. During his visit, Shah inaugurated several dairy projects and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment for a developed Ladakh, especially after it was carved out as a separate Union Territory in 2019.

"We want this border region to become self-reliant. I am thankful to the residents of Leh and Kargil. Whenever we faced a crisis from across this border, people of Ladakh took bullets on their chest in defence of the nation even before the army," said Shah while addressing a function in Leh.


"Every citizen of the country praises, appreciates and is grateful and thankful to the people of Ladakh for their patriotism in defence of the nation and their commitment for the integrity of the country," said Shah. His remarks came at a time when the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have reiterated their demand for statehood and implementation of the Sixth Schedule in Ladakh. ABL and KDA had demanded a meeting with Shah in Leh, which could not happen. Some members of KDA and ABL had met Shah on Thursday evening but it was brief and the minister didn't agree to any of their demands.

Shah said it was through Ladakh and the adjoining routes that the teachings of Tathagata Buddha, which originated in India, spread to China and several other countries. "The presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India's civilisation has, for thousands of years, given the message of peace and coexistence... This heritage still tells us that amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions," said Shah.

He said Ladakh has witnessed rapid transformation since it was bifurcated from J&K and became a UT as per the demands of its people. He listed development projects, social and economic changes that Ladakh witnessed over the past few years. He said Ladakh now has seven districts and 193 panchayats and now local languages like Bhoti, Purgi and Urdu have been given administrative recognition.

Expansion of the dairy sector

Shah announced plans for a major expansion of the dairy sector in Leh and Kargil, including the setting up of a 50,000 litre-per-day milk processing plant in Leh. He laid the foundation stone of a 10-tonne-a-day capacity dairy plant at Kargil and inaugurated new dairy processing units in Leh, including facilities for curd and cheese production.