ALIENS COME AGAIN Dear friends, You must have noticed that NLM was rather silent during the last two months. Well that was mainly because in all the youth conventions we had decided and promised to remain neutral and low key during the election period. Now that Ladakh as well as the nation has decided its leaders, it’s time we (the marching ants) start our action to make Ladakh a better place for all Ladakhis particularly the youth. So this is just the right time to take up again the Aliens’ campaign for Ladakh’s Connectivity i.e. affordable airfare, total digital connectivity and road & media connectivity, because in February there was no decisive government at the centre and the election code of conduct was declared soon after. Let us make Ladakh’s Connectivity Campaign the first popular demand that the new government at the Centre meets when they take office in few days. Let’s not wait till there are thousands of other noisy campaigns to drown the Ladakhi voice. Of course we hope and believe that Ka Thupstan the new MP will take up this genuine issue but let’s help him in doing that by creating an environment where the PM and the President immediately recognize the issue as a popular demand when he takes it up with them. So once again let us- the marching ants- who are small in power but large in number make our impact with our volume… so please write letters and send emails to the addresses below: After the addresses you will find the sample letters that I had posted in February. Just copy the sample that you like and post or email it to all the addresses. The addresses are: 1. Sh Pranab Mukhejee Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, India – 110 004. Telephone : 91-11-23015321 Fax : 91-11-23017290 / 91-11-23017824 [email protected] 2. Sh Narendra Modi South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi. India-110011. Telephone: 91-11-23012312. Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857. For email visit: pmindia.gov.in/contact.php 3. It would be good to send a copy to Sh. Thupstan Chewang MP Ladakh at: [email protected] Phone: 9419179174 Please note that these are only sample letters and you can of course adapt them as you like. But dont forget to put your name, number and email ID in the letter itself in order to establish the credibility of the letter. SAMPLE LETTER 1 Sh Pranab Mukherjee/ Sh. Narendra Modi, The President of India/ Prime Minister of India Subject: Does India Care About Ladakh? Date: xx/yy/zzz Your Excellency/ Honourable Prime Minister, I am XYZ and I am a student/youth from Ladakh. Sir, we all know that Ladakh is geographically remote and located in physically tough terrain with steep mountains and harsh climate… where winter temperatures touch – 35 C. These could be good reasons for why we do not have all-weather surface connectivity by road and railway network. But how can our government explain the fact that we are challenged and neglected even in digital, airline and media connectivity. 1. We can understand that it may be expensive to dig tunnels or lay railway tracks in the mountains, although China has done even that very successfully in Tibet, but how can we explain that most of Ladakh and its villages do not even have any functional internet facility which does not require any tunnel or mountain taming. Why do we have to be ‘remote’ even digitally as compared Bangalore or Pune when it costs almost nothing extra to fly binary digits whether it is in Ladakh or Maharashtra? In this respect we really feel that we are being meted out a step motherly treatment. And because of this, not only our tourism industry is adversely affected but Ladakh cannot even support a software industry or BPOs which are ideally suited for such geographically remote regions. In fact Ladakh should get special treatment i.e. positive discrimination compared to the low-land cities just because we are already challenged in all respects. Ideally India should have compensated for our physical loneliness by providing subsidized air connectivity, and efficient media and IT connectivity brought through radio and broadband facilities right up to the last village and last citizen of Ladakh. 2. However at present it is a depressing scenario for India. While China Radio International with its broadcasts in lucid Hindi and perfect English plays in Ladakhi villages as if the station is next door, All India Radio Leh plays as if the station is in China, even 30 Kms away. Sir, this is definitely not a way to manage the nation’s sensitive borders? 3. Similarly air-tickets for Delhi- Beijing are as cheap as Rs. 18,000 while during winters the Delhi- Leh flight is as costly as Rs. 27,000. Sir, we beg to ask, what message does India want to give to the Ladakhis? Why is our own national capital so remote for Ladakhi students, patients and pilgrims? Sir we appeal to you to kindly intervene urgently and help ensure that Ladakh has complete connectivity to the mainland and the world through affordable air travel, world class digital network and a powerful radio network. I remain Yours faithfully XYZ Email: Phone No: SAMPLE LETTER 2 : General letter Sh Pranab Mukherjee/ Sh. Narendra Modi, The President of India/ The Prime Minister of India Subject: Does India Care About Ladakh? Date: xx/yy/zzz Your Excellency/ Honourable Sir, My name is XYZ , I am a student from Leh district in Ladakh and I am writing this letter as part of our movement for Ladakh’s connectivity to the mainland. We the Ladakhi people have been occupying the mighty heights of the harsh Himalayan Mountains and acting as a bulwark of patriotic people against all enemies. Yet we feel that the nation could have treated us better as we are already treated harshly by nature. While Delhi- Mumbai flights which are used only by rich people who have all the means and choices of trains and buses etc. pay only Rs. 5,000 for a two hour flight, helpless Ladakhis who remain landlocked for seven months in a year are made to cough up Rs. 23,265 for a quick one hour flight during winters . A ticket to Beijing or London on the other hand often costs only about Rs. 20,000. Why is our own national capital so far away from the people? We can understand that it may be expensive to dig tunnels or lay railway tracks in the mountains, although China has done even that very successfully in Tibet, but how can we explain that most of Ladakh and its villages do not even have any functional internet facility which does not require any tunnel or mountain taming. Why do we have to be ‘remote’ even digitally as compared Bangalore or Pune when it costs almost nothing extra bring digital connectivity whether it is in Ladakh or Maharashtra? Sir, in this respect we really feel that we are being meted out a step motherly treatment. And because of this, not only our tourism industry is adversely affected but Ladakh cannot even support a software industry or BPOs which are ideally suited for such geographically remote regions. We feel that Ladakh should get special treatment i.e. positive discrimination compared to the low-land cities because we are already challenged in all respects. Regarding electronic media also at present scenario is rather depressing. While China Radio International with its broadcasts in lucid Hindi and perfect English plays in Ladakhi villages as if the station is next door, All India Radio Leh plays as if the station is in China, even 30 Kms away from Leh. Sir, this we feel is not a way to manage the nation’s sensitive borders? Sir we appeal to you to kindly intervene urgently and help ensure that Ladakh has completely connectivity to the mainland and the world through a). Affordable air transport, b). World class digital network and c). A powerful radio network. Yours faithfully XYZ Email: Phone No: SAMPLE LETTER 3 This one is specially adapted to Kargil situation. But please note that these are only samples and you can of course adapt them as you like. But dont forget to put your name, number and email ID in the letter itself in order to establish the credibility of the letter. Sh Pranab Mukherjee/ Sh. Narendra Modi, The President of India/ Prime Minister of India Subject: Does India Care About Ladakh? Date: xx/yy/zzz Your Excellency/ Honourable Sir, My name is XYZ , I am from Kargil district in Ladakh and I am writing this letter to you with great hopes. We the Ladakhi people have been occupying the mighty heights of the harsh Himalayan Mountains and acting as a bulwark of patriotic people against all enemies. We have been treated harshly by nature for centuries but we expect our own country and government to treat us in ways that make up for our natural disadvantages and challenges. 1. While Delhi- Mumbai flights which are used mainly by rich people who have all the means and choices of trains and buses etc. pay only Rs. 5,000 for a two hour flight, helpless Ladakhis who remain landlocked for seven months in a year are made to pay Rs. 23,265 for a quick one hour flight from Delhi to Leh during winters . 2. On top of that residents of Kargil, especially patients and elderly citizens have to further go through a daylong painful road journey from Leh to Kargil. Meanwhile an airport in Kargil has been constructed over a decade ago, and yet so far no civilian air services have been operated successfully. 3. We can understand that it may be expensive to dig tunnels in the mountains, yet we would like India to speed up the work on the Zojila tunnel just like China has done not only tunnels but even rail links in Tibet. 4. While tunnels may take some time, we fail to understand why our villages do not even have functional internet facility which does not require any tunnel or mountain taming. Why do we have to be ‘remote’ even digitally as compared Bangalore or Pune when it costs almost nothing extra to bring digital connectivity? Sir, in these respects we really feel neglected by the nation. Therefore we appeal to you to kindly intervene urgently and help ensure that Ladakh has completely connectivity to the mainland and the world through a). Affordable air transport between the Delhi and Leh, b). Commencement of air services through Kargil Airport, c). Speedy work on the Zojila tunnel project, d). World class digital broadband network in all the villages and schools of Kargil Yours faithfully XYZ Email: Phone No:
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 18:18:23 +0000
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