Protesters Demand District Status For Zanskar

JAMMU — A group of people from Zanskar staged a demonstration here in support of their demand for district status to the sub-divsion. Zanskar falls in Kargil district of Ladakh division. Dozens of residents, mostly youth, assembled outside the Press Club and chanted slogans besides displaying placards in support of their demand."We are holding this protest to invite the attention of Governor Satya Pal Malik towards our long pending genuine demand for a district status," said president of Ladakh Buddhist Association, Zanskar, Tsewang Chotar.He lauded the governor's decision to create a separate division for Ladakh and said "Leh and Kargil were given the district status way back in 1979 but Zanskar despite being an important geographical region having a significant history and civilization was not given separate district so far despite assurances from the successive governments".Zanskar covers an area of some 7,000 square kilometres with a population of 13,849, as per April 2006 medical census records, with people living mainly in scattered small villages, the largest being the capital Padum, with nearly 700 inhabitants.