Leh, Jan 17: The newly constituted Voice of Buddhist Ladakh (VBL) has expressed concern over what it claims is a rise in missionary activities and instances of religious conversions in Ladakh, allegedly targeting a particular community.
Taking to social media, VBL Convenor Skarma Namtak stated that the silence of the affected community should not be misconstrued as ignorance or acceptance. He emphasized that, despite the prevailing situation, the community continues to uphold its values by choosing restraint and what it believes to be the right course of action.
Reiterating VBL’s long-term demand, Namtak said the organisation will persist in its efforts to seek the enactment of an Anti-Conversion Law in the Union Territory of Ladakh. However, acknowledging that the legal process may take time, he urged organised religious institutions to immediately revive and implement an interfaith agreement signed in 1992 between the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and the Ladakh Muslim Association (LMA).
The agreement, executed with mutual understanding and consensus and signed by the then presidents of both associations, was described by VBL as a framework meant to ensure communal harmony. Namtak stressed that the agreement should not remain confined to official records but must be implemented “in letter and spirit” to address present concerns.
The statement comes amid renewed public discourse in Ladakh over religious harmony, legal safeguards, and the role of community institutions in addressing sensitive social issues.
