Ladakh delegation meets Home Ministry officials; talks ‘positive’

Leaders from Ladakh and Union Home Ministry officials on Wednesday held talks in Delhi — the first formal dialogue on key issues since the September 24 violence in Leh — which left four dead and nearly 100 injured.

Leaders from Ladakh — Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — arrived in the national capital on Tuesday to hold sub-committee-level talks with Union Home Ministry officials.

On Wednesday, leaders said talks were held in a “positive” environment, and MHA officials heard them with full “openness”. Sources said it was decided that soon there would be another meeting of the sub-committee and immediately then, a high-powered committee meeting would also be held. Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, Leh Apex Body co-chairman and a member of the sub-committee, said all issues were discussed and talks were going in the right direction.

“It is too early to see any result, but the process has started afresh. We raised all the issues at the meeting today. They heard all our demands,” he said, adding that the focus of the Ladakh leaders was on the statehood and the Sixth Schedule.

Sources said revocation of charges against activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and the release of other detainees, was also discussed at the meeting. “But there is no assurance about whether these demands will be met or not,” Lakruk said.

Last week, members of the Leh Apex Body, one of the two main groups spearheading the agitation for the statehood and Sixth Schedule status, announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had invited them for fresh discussions scheduled for October 22.

The violence in Leh followed a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had fasted for 35 days, demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. After the unrest, both the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had refused to engage in talks with the MHA until their demands, including a judicial probe, were met. Following weeks of back-channel communication, the Union Government last week ordered a judicial inquiry, paving the way for the resumption of dialogue.

Ladakh MP Mohammad Haneefa Jan told The Tribune that in Wednesday’s meeting there was an “openness from MHA officials” to hear the issues of Ladakh leaders. “Everything was discussed regarding providing safeguards to Ladakh. Existing special provisions at different places were also discussed,” he said.

He said talks would be held again with MHA officials soon, before the high-powered committee meeting was held. The high-powered committee (HPC) for Ladakh is chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Representatives from both the LAB and the KDA attended the meeting along with senior MHA officials.