Ladakh leadership attends crucial MHA meeting in Delhi

Kargil, Dec 3: A delegation of the Ladakh leaders held a crucial  meeting with a High Powered Committee(HPC) of Union Ministry of Home Affairs  (MHA) in  New Delhi today.

The meeting was chaired by the Union MoS Home Nityanand Rai who is also chairman of the High powered Committee (HPC) in North Block Delhi. The meeting was scheduled for 5 PM.  The meeting of was called by MHA amid the intensified protest by the Ladakh bodies in support of their four demands including Statehood for Ladakh, Constitutional Safeguards under Sixth Schedule, PSC for Ladakh and separate parliament seats for Leh and Kargil.

It was the third such HPC meeting constituted by the MHA to discuss the issues and demands put forth by the Ladakh leadership comprised of representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) two amalgam of social, political, trade, students and religious groups from Ladakh besides .

Sources said that the meeting was held in an cordial atmosphere and government while agreeing to discuss the four points of Ladakh leaders and to continue the dialogue to resolve the issues and demands. Sources added that far as the demand for two Parliamentary seats are concerned, the Ladakh leaders have been told that this is not possible till 2026 and can be taken up whenever the new Delimitation Commission is set up.

Member of Parliament Ladakh Mohammad Haneefa Jan told Greater Kashmir that the meeting ended on a positive note and the HPC agreed to discuss the four demands put forth by the LAB and KDA . However, on two parliamentary seats the government said that it can be taken up only after delimitation process after 2026.

“ The government has agreed and committed to ensure a 95 percent job reservation for Ladakhis in Ladakh for all the Gazetted and non Gazetted post. An agreement on the PSC seems to be possible in coming months as both sides appeared determined to resolve the issue on the ground that youth are suffering in the absence of the Commission with no recruitment for Gazetted Officers taking place since Ladakh became the Union Territory on August 5, 2019,”he said. He added that the HPC will constitute a sub committee for taking forward further talks and deliberations that was agreed upon by the the Ladakh leadership and subsequently the next meeting is scheduled to be held on January 15 .

KDA member Sajad Hussain Kargili said, " The government agreed to discuss threadbare our main demands: Statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the constitution of the exclusive Public Service Commission for Ladakh . We look forward to fruitful discussions at the next meeting."

He stated that today’s meeting was highly productive, as the Government of India has agreed to discuss the four-point agenda proposed by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India, particularly to the Hon’ble Prime @narendramodi and Union Home Minister @AmitShah Mos Home @nityanandraibjp ji, for their commitment to ensuring 95% job reservations for Ladakhis in Ladakh.

1/3 reservation for women in LAHDC , Bhoti and Urdu as Offical languages of UT Ladakh while as we have recommended to include Purgi, Shina and Balti also. The next meeting is scheduled to take place on January 15,” Kargili posted on X. Co-chairman KDA Asgar Ali Karbalai told Greater Kashmir that the government seems to be positive about resolving all their demands and we are hopeful that the dialogue between the government of India and Ladakh leaders will continue so that all the issues and demands are addressed.

Notably, the meeting came after the centre assured noted climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who staged protests in Delhi after leading a march from Ladakh last month, of considering their demands.

Official sources said that besides Nityanand Rai, who  chaired the meeting, representatives of LAB , KDA ,Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary MHA, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs, Ladakh MP Mohammad Haneefa Jan, chairpersons-cum-CECs of Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils Tashi Gyalson and Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon , Dr Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and Additional Secretary Legal Affairs also attended  the crucial meeting.

Representatives of LAB and KDA who were part of the Ladakh leaders delegation are senior politician from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, a two-time Lok Sabha member from Ladakh, Chering Dorjey and Nawang Rigzin Jora, both former Cabinet Ministers in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, all from LAB besides 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.