Resignations come ahead of next round of talks with MHA
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 6: In a sudden move, two prominent leaders today resigned from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) is engaged in dialogue with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over its four-point agenda including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
Chairman LAB Thupstan Chhewang and UT Congress chief Nawang Rigzin Jora simultaneously but separately announced their resignations with the latter clarifying that while he is stepping back personally, the Congress party will continue to remain a part of the grouping.
“Since stepping away from electoral politics, I have consistently distanced myself from partisan and individual agendas. In keeping with this stance, I hereby resign as Chairman and member of the Leh Apex Body, as well as from the High Powered Committee (HPC).
“I prefer not to be entangled in competing interests. I thank all members of the Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance for their wholehearted support during my tenure,” Chhewang, a former two-time Member of Parliament who quit BJP in 2018, said in a press release.
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In his letter addressed to chairman LAB, Jora said he is withdrawing himself from the sub-committee which is scheduled to attend meetings with the officials of the Home Ministry in the coming days and as well as from the High Powered Committee (HPC).
“Congress party, however, shall continue to be part of the Apex Body and support every effort towards achieving our avowed objective (Sixth Schedule and Statehood) and criticise the ones that go against it,” Jora said in his resignation letter.
Both the leaders couldn’t be approached on phone to take their view on reasons for the resignations. LAB co-Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk’s phone was also switched off soon after the resignation letters surfaced.
These back-to-back exits from the LAB come days before the next round of crucial HPC or Core Group talks between Ladakhi representatives and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Political observers asserted that this development could lead to restructuring of the Apex Body.
With the leadership vacuum created, the onus now falls on the remaining members of the Apex Body and the KDA to regroup and re-strategize ahead of the talks. The Centre is expected to soon announce dates for the next round of dialogue, the observers said.
Besides Statehood and Sixth Schedule, the LAB and KDA were also agitating for reservation of jobs for locals and two Parliamentary seats for the region. However, their issues of reservation and domicile were settled by the MHA in May 27 meeting held in New Delhi.
The Government has already announced new reservation and domicile policies for Ladakh, reserving 85 percent jobs for locals and 33 percent quota for women in the Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
The Government has also made English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh, but said English shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the UT for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had formed the High Powered Committee to discuss measures needed to protect the region’s unique culture and language, taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance.
In August 2024, the Centre created five new districts in the UT — Zanskar, Drass and Sham, all in Leh district; and Nubra and Changthang in Kargil district.
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