Centre to resume talks with Ladakh leaders, next meeting on Oct 6

In a significant development, the Central government has decided to resume talks with Ladakh leaders, with the Union Home Ministry scheduling the next meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on October 6.

The fresh round of talks between Ladakh leaders—including the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—and officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was last held in May this year. Since then, the process had stalled.

KDA leader Sajjad Kargili said on Saturday that the MHA has finally decided to resume talks with Ladakhi leaders. “We hope these talks will lead to the restoration of democratic rights, including statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for Ladakh,” he added.

He expressed optimism that the talks will be “result-oriented.” According to the meeting notice, members are scheduled to meet at 11 am on October 6.

Speaking to The Tribune, Kargili said they are unsure why the talks were stalled for several months. He also said that in the coming days, leaders from LAB and KDA will meet to decide their future course of action. “We will present our demands, including the two main ones—statehood and Sixth Schedule status,” he said.

During the last round of talks, issues related to reservations were resolved. The talks were chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.

The resumption of talks comes amid the ongoing hunger strike by innovator and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who is demanding an early resolution of key issues facing the people of Ladakh, including constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and the grant of statehood to the Union Territory.

As part of the ongoing protest, 15 individuals, including Buddhist monks, are participating in a 35-day relay hunger strike alongside Wangchuk, who began his strike on September 10.

Recently, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) underwent significant internal changes by removing political leaders from its fold.

In 2023, the Union Home Ministry constituted the High-Powered Committee to discuss land and employment safeguards for Ladakh. The committee, which includes representatives from LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, was set up to protect Ladakh’s unique culture and language, considering its geographical location and strategic importance.