Yes: Ladakh is stauncly pro-Indian

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Posted by Per on November 25, 2002 at 23:50:29:

In Reply to: Is Ladakh safe for trekkers? posted by huw on November 25, 2002 at 22:22:54:

Leh bazaar

: We are considering Ladakh for 2004, but are wondering if it's still a safe destination for westerners, as it's in Kashmir, which we thought was more or less off limits to trekkers.

Kashmir is in a general sense not recommendable at the moment, though that may change. We have spent a lot of time in Kashmir and it was wonderful. Last time was 88 though and then it was starting to get heavy.

: Is Ladakh a safe part of Kashmir, and what about travel into and out of Ladakh?

Yes, Ladakh is safe. Politically it is part of Jammu and Kashmir State, but if you look closer at the history of the area it is very obvious that this is a recent construction. 19th century Dogra conquest, the Sikh wars, etc. Kashmir is really just one valley, where they speak Kashmiri and have Kashmiri culture. North and north east of Kashmir are completely different people. Dards, Baltis, Zanskaris, Ladakhis, Drokpas, etc.

Ladakhi people are Buddhists and dread the ethnic cleansing that has taken place in Pakistan after partition and in the Kashmir valley recently so they are staunchly pro-Indian and have several times demanded that Ladakh be made a Union Territory: i.e., that it would not be under the state government in Jammu and Srinagar at all. There is quite a bit of military and the military is well seen and get along very well with the locals, who see it as a guarantee that they will not become Pakistanis. You never get the feeling that the place is besieged, on the contrary. In the Kargil war a lot of them volunteered to fight the Talibanized Pakistani army. Leh is a friendly multi ethnic bazaar.

: Do you have to travel through 'kidnap'country?

No not at all. If you want to avoid Kashmir, you can go via a Manali, which is perfectly safe, and you don´t have to go near any kidnap country. We cycled through in 99 during the Kargil war and did not feel threatened for a second, although on a bike one is very exposed.

Per

Cycling Manali — Leh

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: Leh bazaar : : We are considering Ladakh for 2004, but are wondering if it's still a safe destination for westerners, as it's in Kashmir, which we thought was more or less off limits to trekkers. : Kashmir is in a general sense not recommendable at the moment, though that may change. We have spent a lot of time in Kashmir and it was wonderful. Last time was 88 though and then it was starting to get heavy. : : Is Ladakh a safe part of Kashmir, and what about travel into and out of Ladakh? : Yes, Ladakh is safe. Politically it is part of Jammu and Kashmir State, but if you look closer at the history of the area it is very obvious that this is a recent construction. 19th century Dogra conquest, the Sikh wars, etc. Kashmir is really just one valley, where they speak Kashmiri and have Kashmiri culture. North and north east of Kashmir are completely different people. Dards, Baltis, Zanskaris, Ladakhis, Drokpas, etc. : Ladakhi people are Buddhists and dread the ethnic cleansing that has taken place in Pakistan after partition and in the Kashmir valley recently so they are staunchly pro-Indian and have several times demanded that Ladakh be made a Union Territory: i.e., that it would not be under the state government in Jammu and Srinagar at all. There is quite a bit of military and the military is well seen and get along very well with the locals, who see it as a guarantee that they will not become Pakistanis. You never get the feeling that the place is besieged, on the contrary. In the Kargil war a lot of them volunteered to fight the Talibanized Pakistani army. Leh is a friendly multi ethnic bazaar. : : : Do you have to travel through 'kidnap'country? : No not at all. If you want to avoid Kashmir, you can go via a Manali, which is perfectly safe, and you don´t have to go near any kidnap country. We cycled through in 99 during the Kargil war and did not feel threatened for a second, although on a bike one is very exposed. : Per

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