\r\nA Buddhist girl conversion and its marriage to a Muslim boy threatened communal unrest in the region by the LBA, condemning the incident a protest rally was organised by LBA on September 8 at Polo ground, Leh. All the commercial units in and around Leh remained shut for one day.\r\n

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\r\nAddressing the gathering during the protest rally Tsewang Thinles, President, LBA alleged that the girl has been eloping with the Muslim boy from Kargil district who was lured by him for the marriage and converting to Muslim.”\r\n

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\r\nHe said that communal harmony of the region can only be maintained if all the different religious community works for it unitedly and solves each other’s issues peacefully.\r\n

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\r\nP.T Kunzang, Vice President alleged that the conversion of Buddhist into Islam faith is a conspiracy or plan of the Muslim community taking place under the blessing of J&K govt.\r\n

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\r\nHe said that all kind of the legal papers stating that no Buddhist can interfere the decision and provision of security from police for the duo clearly states that the Government is supporting them because no such paper gets to complete so easily if it is in the case of a Buddhist.\r\n

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\r\n“If a Buddhist youth elopes a Muslim girl, there might be a serious intervention and consequences but unfortunately for this incident the state govt. administration of both the districts prefers to be silent on this issue. Even the police refuse to lodge a FIR against the missing girl.” he asserted.\r\n

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\r\nGiving an ultimatum to the District administration and Government to hand over the girl within a week he said, if failed to do so they will intensify the protest and the communal harmony in the region can take an ugly turn.\r\n

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\r\nRinchen Namgyal, LBA Youth wing President said, “We will no longer bear this injustice, there are many cases in which the Muslim boys allure the girls of Buddhist community posing as Buddhists and reveals the real identity only after the marriage.”\r\n

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\r\nLater the rally was headed towards DC office Leh where a memorandum was submitted to Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister J&K.\r\n

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\r\nThe memorandum reads as “Buddhist families and young girl has been lured by the Muslim community in various parts of Ladakh and forcing them to embrace the Islamic fold. Despite periodic meetings and warning to the Muslim community, no serious steps seem to have been taken and the local administration, the security agencies and the community leaders and representatives seem to be hushing up such volatile issue. We feel that the Muslim community leaders, administration, and other stakeholders need to warn Muslim community and the state government machinery for immediate intervention and arrange to bring back the girl before peace tranquility and communal harmony takes an ugly turn.”\r\n

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\r\nWhereas, the new Deputy Commissioner, Leh assured to convene a meeting with all the religious communities and the administration to maintain peace and harmony in the region. \r\n

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