Breaking the stalemate following the September 24 Leh firing that killed four people and injured over 90, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) held a meeting with the sub-committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday in which they stressed on time-bound resolution of their demands of statehood and Sixth Schedule for Ladakh.
They also demanded immediate release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was detained on September 26 under the National Security Act (NSA) and lodged in the Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.
Members of the two bodies said that their talks with the MHA have resumed on a “positive note”.
MP Ladakh, Mohmad Haneefa, after the meeting said that there is an expectation that the issues of Ladakh will be addressed by the government.
“The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere, with an encouraging start. Both Ladakh’s leadership and officials from the MHA participated openly and sincerely. Discussions focused on safeguarding issues, with all concerns presented.”
“There is a hopeful expectation that Ladakh’s issues will be addressed in the near future. Although a single meeting is unlikely to yield immediate decisions, a request was made for a series of meetings to thoroughly discuss and resolve these issues. Additionally, demand was made for the release of detainees, including Sonam Wangchuk, and compensation for families who lost their loved ones in the September 24 police firing.”
The meeting was attended by members of the LAB, KDA, MP and chief executive councillors of the Leh and Kargil Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
Member of KDA, Sajjad Kargili, said that the issues of statehood and Sixth Schedule are on the table.
The Ladakh leaders had boycotted the talks scheduled with the MHA on October 6 after the Leh firing. The MHA extended a fresh invitation to representatives of the LAB) and KDA for another round of talks in New Delhi on 22 October.
LAB Co-chairman Chhering Dorjey hoped the talks would be “result-oriented rather than time-consuming.”
The four-point agenda of the LAB and KDA, on which they have been agitating for the past few years, are statehood, Sixth Schedule status, a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC), and two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh.