Centre reaches out to Leh Apex Body leader amid ‘delay’ in Ladakh talks

Even as Ladakh leaders await a date for fresh talks with the Union Home Ministry, the Centre has reached out to the co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) for a possible meeting, The Tribune has learnt.

In October, subcommittee-level talks were held between Home Ministry representatives and Ladakh leaders. Subsequently, last month, the leaders submitted a draft proposal outlining their key demands, including statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory.

However, with no date announced so far for the next round of talks, the Union government has approached LAB co-chairman and subcommittee member Cherring Dorjay Lakruk for a meeting in New Delhi.

Lakruk, who is also the president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, confirmed that he was recently contacted for what he described as an “individual meeting.” “I haven’t decided yet whether I will go or not,” he said. The reason for inviting Lakruk separately remains unclear.

Ladakh leaders aware of the development said they hope the government will soon convene a fresh subcommittee-level meeting to continue discussions on the demands.

Following the October 22 meeting — the first formal dialogue after the September 24 clashes that left four people dead and nearly 100 injured — it was agreed that leaders from the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) would submit a written draft detailing their demands. A subsequent subcommittee-level meeting was to be scheduled after the submission of the draft.

Leaders have since expressed concern over what they describe as an “unwarranted delay” in convening the next meeting. Ladakh Member of Parliament Hanifa Jan said the Home Ministry should have held another subcommittee meeting by now.

“There is a delay, which should not have happened. By now, the MHA should have called a subcommittee meeting,” he said.

Jan added that once subcommittee-level discussions resume, a meeting of the high-powered committee headed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai is also expected.