LAB to intensify stir if not called for talks
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 17: The Leh Apex Body (LAB), spearheading agitation for Sixth Schedule and Statehood to Ladakh along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has decided to remove leaders of political parties from its delegation which will negotiate with the Centre on its demands.
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LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook told the Excelsior that Thupstan Chhewang, who had resigned from the body after the last round of talks in May, has agreed to return to the LAB as its head to lead the talks with the Centre whenever called.
Last round of talks by the MHA with LAB and KDA, chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, was held on May 27 in New Delhi in which issues of domicile and reservations were settled. However, since then there has been no meeting between the two sides.
Lakrook, however, said they haven’t received any invitation for talks so far from the MHA and in such a situation they will be left with no option but to intensify their agitation.
Chhewang, a former two-time MP from Ladakh, had distanced himself from LAB and submitted resignation citing “partisan, individual agendas and competing interests”.
It was generally perceived that some political leaders had exercised undue influence over LAB, which hampered fruitful negotiations and resolution of issues, apparently for political gains. The tendency had increased as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh elections were approaching next month amid reports that they may be deferred pending creation of five new districts and identification of 33 percent seats to be reserved for women in the Council.
Many within LAB, especially youth leaders, had expressed concerns regarding “politicisation” of the body, which led to intense internal conflicts in recent times.
Accepting LAB’s decision, the local Congress unit also announced that it will remain away from talks, if people of Ladakh desire so. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was included in the High Powered Committee after the resignation of Chhewang and Congress’ Nawang Rigzin Jora on July 6, went on a hunger strike along with a group of locals, including some retired soldiers, on September 10.
However, the hunger strike has so far failed to evoke any response from the Government.
Previously, over 1,000 kanals of land allocated to Wangchuk’s institution HIAL was cancelled by the UT administration due to various irregularities including failure to complete the lease agreement, non-payment of dues and non-establishment of any recognized university, for which the land was allocated.
His hunger strike has evoked mixed response in Ladakh, with many veteran leaders suggesting preference to talks with the Government over confrontational agitation.
Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), a powerful body within LAB, passed a unanimous resolution on September 13, calling for separation of political parties from the grouping and persuading Thupstan Chhewang “at all costs, respecting his conditions and sentiments” to return.
LAB along with Kargil Democratic Alliance is engaged in dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs over its demands for which they have been agitating for the last four years.
The two powerful bodies are hopeful of a positive response from the Government to their request for resumption of dialogue.
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