Govt watches on as social boycott of Zanskar Muslims enters 4th year

Demanding an end to their three-year-old social boycott by the majority Buddhist community in Zanskar, the Muslims in the region on Saturday said the state government has taken no measures to end their misery.
A local news agency on Saturday reported that Zanskar Muslims were desperately seeking Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s mediation for an end to their problems, while apprehending danger to their lives and properties.
Zanskar with a population of 17,000 witnessed a riot when on October 24, 2012 four Buddhist families comprising 22 members converted to Islam.
This forced Zanskar Buddhist Association (ZBA) to enforce a social boycott against Muslims in the region.
Most Muslims blame designated counselor Phunchok Tashi and executive councilor Tsering Angdus of Ladakh Hill Development Council for the crisis.
Muslims say that ZBA issues new diktats at the behest of the duo primarily to undermine those Buddhists who want to have friendly relations with Muslims.
Many Buddhists had vacated the shops they had rented from Muslims and stopped all exchange with Muslims, CNS said.
Political analyst in chief minister’s office Waheed-ur- Rehman Parra said the government has taken up the issue with important people (representatives) from both the communities and “nobody will be allowed to overpower other community.”
“The government won’t allow any damage to the communal harmony,” he added.
In April 2014, netizen Tariq Rasool writes an online petition addressed to Dalai Lama, seeking end to social boycott of  Muslims in Zanskar
In January 2015, BJP MP Thupstan Chewang and Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) ask government of India to stop the ‘forced conversion’ of Buddhist girls by Muslim boys in the region.