LAB, KDA announce agitational schedule

LAB and KDA leaders addressing a press conference in Leh on Wednesday.
LAB and KDA leaders addressing a press conference in Leh on Wednesday.

Reiterate 4 major demands

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 26: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) today held a joint meeting in Leh after quite a long time and announced agitational schedule in support of their demands saying the Central Government hasn’t paid any heed towards them, the assurances notwithstanding.
Meeting of senior leaders lasted three hours.
Addressing a press conference post-meeting, LAB leaders including Thupstan Chhewang and Chering Dorjay Lakrook and KDA representatives Qamar Ali Akhoon and Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie among others said that there will be a massive protest by the students on October 29 in both districts of Leh and Kargil which will be supported by the Apex Body as well as KDA.
It will be followed by a huge protest on November 2.
They announced launch of sustained agitation in Ladakh in 2023 and 2024 starting January 2023.
The Apex Body and KDA leaders charged the Central Government with neglecting the demands raised by Ladakhis repeatedly.
“Neglect of the demands by the Central Government has left the people unhappy,” they said.
Demands reiterated by the representatives of Leh and Kargil districts at the press conference include Statehood, safeguards on the lines of Sixth Schedule, two separate Lok Sabha seats and tackling unemployment in Ladakh among others.
To decide future course of agitation, the two bodies formed a Core Committee. Chering Dorjay, former Minister will be convenor of the Committee from the Apex Body and Nasir Munshi will hold same post from KDA.
Thupstan Chhewang, Thinles Wangmo, Padma Stanzin, student leader, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalaie and Sajjad Kargili were nominated as members of the Core Committee.
Both Apex Body and KDA expressed happiness over resolution of Monastery construction issue in an amicable way.
The agitational schedule announced by the LAB and KDA coincides with formal conversion of Ladakh into a Union Territory on October 31, 2019 along with Jammu and Kashmir after division of erstwhile State of J&K and abrogation of its special status on August 5, 2019.