Ladakh leaders meet in Delhi to discuss strategy

Kargil,  Dec 2: The leadership of Ladakh today met in New Delhi to discuss their strategy for the  scheduled meeting  with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) tomorrow.

After months of the stalled dialogue , the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), an amalgam of social, political, trade, students and religious groups from Ladakh, will hold a crucial meet with  the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) tomorrow.

Minister of State (MoS) Home Nityanand Rai who is also the chairman of the high powered committee will chair the meeting. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Joint Secretary MHA and  Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs, Prashant Lokhande,  Ladakh MP Mohammad Haneefa Jan, Chairpersons-cum-CECs of Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils Tashi Gyalson and Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon and Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal,  will also attend the crucial meeting.

Representatives of LAB and KDA who will be part of the Ladakh leaders delegation are senior politician Thupstan Chhewang, a two-time Lok Sabha, Chering Dorjey and Nawang Rigzin Jora, both former cabinet ministers in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, all from LAB . Besides  them  senior leader Qamar Ali Akhoon, a former cabinet minister in previous J&K Government, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie, ex MLA and Sajjad Kargili, prominent social-political activist from Kargil and representative of Anjuman Isna Asharia Kargil, all from KDA wwill also attended the meeting.

Member of Parliament Ladakh Mohd Haneefa Jan said they will take up four point agenda during the talks. Those are  full-fledged Statehood for Ladakh, Constitutional Safeguards under Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, early recruitment process and Public Services Commission (PSC) for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts. He added that they are hopeful of positive outcome from the meeting.

Earlier, last month the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had invited LAB and KDA for talks in New Delhi on December 3.

Meanwhile, ahead of crucial talks with the Union Home Ministry, representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met at Ladakh Bhawan in New Delhi today and expressed confidence that the Centre will resolve their issues in time-bound manner. They decided to go ahead with four-point agenda in the meeting tomorrow . An official joint statement issued by the LAB and KDA after meeting said they remain steadfast in their commitment to four critical demands of Ladakh and emphasised the need for a constructive dialogue with the MHA on December 3 with expectation that the Ministry will engage positively. They also anticipated that subsequent meetings will be scheduled promptly to ensure meaningful and timely progress on these issues. The statement said the two bodies will advocate for Statehood to Ladakh for restoration of democracy to ensure people’s participation in governance, administrative efficiency, better governance and economic development and Sixth Schedule status for greater autonomy, cultural identities, environmental preservation and protection of tribal rights. They will urge for the establishment of a Public Service Commission for Ladakh and expedited recruitment of Gazetted Officers to address administrative needs. They said separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil will increase Parliamentary representation from Ladakh.

KDA member Sajad Kargili said that ahead of the meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs , the Kargil Democratic Alliance and Leh Apex Body convened at Ladakh Bhawan, in  Delhi. “We will approach the discussions with optimism, anticipating meaningful and concrete outcomes. The people of Ladakh urgently need resolution on critical issues, including rising unemployment, overaged youth, the absence of a Public Service Commission, legislative representation, and essential constitutional safeguards. Further delays are untenable,” he said.