The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) will launch a 3-day hunger strike in Kargil in support of their charter of demands including statehood for Ladakh.
They are also demanding Sixth Schedule status, separate Lok Sabha seats for Kargil and Leh regions and establishment of a public service commission for Ladakh. The hunger strike will begin on 9 August and end on 11 August at the Hussaini Park in Kargil.
They were resorting to the hunger strike as the High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs was allegedly delaying further talks and has yet to fix a fresh date for the next round of dialogue with the agitating groups of Ladakh.
Co-chairman of the KDA, Asgar Ali Karbalai, said the hunger strike was being held to mount pressure on the Union Government to resume the dialogue with the agitating groups of Ladakh. The last meeting of the HPC was held in New Delhi about two months ago.
The KDA core group, in consultation with the Leh Apex Body (LAB), has decided to go on the three-day hunger strike. People from across Ladakh have been invited to join the strike, he said.
Although the leaders of the LAB have not yet responded to the hunger strike call given by the KDA, Karbalai said that the Buddhist leaders from Leh have been requested to join the protest to present a united front.