In a significant development amid the continuing tension in Ladakh following the September 24 protests, in which four people were killed in police firing, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended a fresh invitation to representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for another round of talks in New Delhi on October 22.
The meeting, to be held in North Block, will be attended by members of a sub-committee representing the Ladakh leadership.
The LAB hopes the upcoming talks will bring meaningful progress, unlike previous discussions that failed to produce a concrete outcome.
The Ladakh leadership is expected to reiterate its key demands, including the immediate release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is detained in Rajasthan under the National Security Act (NSA), as well as statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. They are also demanding that a Ladakhi representative be included in the inquiry commission appointed by the MHA to probe the September 24 incident.
The preliminary discussions with the sub-committee will be followed by a meeting chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, which will also be attended by senior officials of the Home Ministry, including Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Joint Secretary (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh).
LAB Co-chairman Chhering Dorjey confirmed that they had received communication regarding the meeting with the MHA, likely to be held on October 22. He said the delegation would attend and expressed hope that the talks would be “result-oriented rather than time-consuming.”
Earlier, the MHA had called the Ladakh leadership for talks on October 6. However, both the LAB and KDA boycotted the meeting in protest against the September 24 incident, which left four civilians dead and over 90 injured.
The groups are also demanding the release of all those arrested after the violence.
According to LAB leaders, an MHA representative from Delhi visited Ladakh yesterday, and after discussions, the date for the talks was finalized. The LAB has also appealed for its legal team to be included in the meeting.
“If the upcoming talks yield positive results, the next round of discussions with the High-Powered Committee (HPC) led by Nityanand Rai will follow,” LAB and KDA members said. “There will be a brief gap between the two meetings to allow us to consult with the people of Ladakh.”
Expressing disappointment, the LAB noted that retired officials from Ladakh have “remained silent” and “have not condemned the loss of four young lives.”
The Apex delegation—comprising Thupstan Chhewang, Tsering Dorjay Lakrook, Ashraf Barch, Asgar Ali Karbalai, Sajjad Kargili, Qamar Ali Akhoon, and Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan—along with lawyers from Leh, will participate in the upcoming talks.
The four-point agenda of the LAB and KDA, on which they have been agitating for the past few years, includes statehood, Sixth Schedule status, a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC), and two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh. The Ladakh leaders are also demanding compensation for the families of those killed in police firing on September 24 and the release of all detainees.