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No headway in Ladakh talks, LAB, KDA call meeting ‘disappointing’
The much awaited sub-committee level talks convened by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Wednesday on Ladakh’s demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under sixth schedule of the constitution, turned out to be a damp squib affair with participants from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) calling the meeting “very disappointing”
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The much awaited sub-committee level talks convened by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Wednesday on Ladakh’s demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under sixth schedule of the constitution, turned out to be a damp squib affair with participants from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) calling the meeting “very disappointing”.
The MHA had called a sub-committee level meeting at Delhi to discuss the four key demands of the LAB and KDA. The talks were considered significant by the two bodies as they anticipated some forward movement after the minutes of the May 22 meeting were signed off on July 3 in Leh by the MHA and the two agitating bodies.
However, co-chairman of the LAB and former minister, Chering Dorjay Lakrook called the meeting a “very disappointing affair”.
“There was not much headway. They (MHA officials) only reiterated the May 22 minutes of the meeting and there was no forward movement,” said Lakrook.
He further said, “The officials reiterated UT-level elected body and Article 371 K, which had been agreed upon previously but nothing new happened today. Therefore, we feel disappointed.”
Lakrook said that the LAB and KDA were expecting a concrete draft proposal from the MHA officials.
“We were anticipating a concrete draft proposal from the MHA, which had to be deliberated upon by us before giving our reaction to the government on it but nothing of this sort happened. Therefore, we are very disappointed. We also conveyed our disappointment to the officials in writing,” he said.
Dorjay informed that the MHA officials have assured them to hold the next meeting in Kargil during first week of October.
The meeting was attended by chief secretary of Ladakh UT, Ashish Kundra, additional secretary home Prashant S Lokhande and Anurag Kumar, special director, IB, in-charge of J&K and Ladakh affairs.
Ladakh CS, struck a positive note after the meeting. In a post on X, he wrote, “Attended the sub-committee meeting with leaders of Ladakh at MHA in Delhi today . A general air of positivity prevailed as the broad contours of a sui generis model of governance under Article 371 of the Constitution were discussed. Deepening democracy is the goal”.
On September 4, LAB and KDA had deferred a proposed foot march to Leh from September 10 in view of the Wednesday’s meeting. The foot march from Kargil to Leh had to culminate on September 24 on first anniversary of Leh violence that left four civilians dead, over 80 injured and over 85 arrested.
“Since the Centre has fixed September 9 for talks, we have decided to defer the foot march. If September 9 talks are good, then we will also hold minimal programmes in September, but if the talks fail or there is an attempt to delay the process or if talks are not result-oriented then we will go full throttle with our agitation in September,” LAB leader and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had said on September 4.
Ladakh was created as a Union Territory without a legislative assembly on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. Leaders have been protesting since then to demand statehood and constitutional safeguards. In 2023, the MHA formed a high-powered committee under minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, to address the region’s culture, language, and strategic interests.
