Apex Body wants Statehood, 6th Schedule on agenda
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: In a significant development in Ladakh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today gave a proposal to the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for talks on July 20 following which climate activist and now LAB member Sonam Wangchuk has postponed his 35-day fast which was scheduled to begin on July 15.
LAB co-Chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook told the Excelsior on telephone from Leh this evening that they have received a proposal from the MHA for talks on July 20.
However, an official invite is yet to come.
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“In view of the offer for talks, climate activist and now LAB member Sonam Wangchuk has postponed his 35-day fast which was scheduled to begin on July 15,” Lakrook said.
However, he said they will wait for agenda of the meeting which should include discussions on Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. Only then, the talks will be meaningful, he added.
Wangchuk, who was recently inducted into the LAB, had announced 35-day fast beginning July 15. Lakrook said, the fast has been postponed till July 20 as they will wait for formal invite of the talks and agenda to be taken up in the meeting called by the MHA.
To a question as to whether they would boycott the meeting if the agenda doesn’t list discussions on Statehood and Sixth Schedule status, Lakrook said it will be too early to say anything. “We want talks to be resumed,” he added.
“Presently, we are waiting for the formal invite and agenda,” he said.
Last meeting of the MHA with LAB and KDA was held on May 27 in which the issues of reservation and domicile were addressed clearing decks for recruitment of Gazetted cadre posts by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC).
It was then decided that next meeting will be held within a month.
However, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan who was in Leh on a two-day visit on June 30 and July 1, met the LAB delegation and assured them that next meeting will be convened soon by the MHA.
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