No talks held for last two and half months
After 3-day agitation; LAB, KDA to decide future action
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 11: Uncertainty looms large over stalled dialogue between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with no word from the Centre and the UT administration of Ladakh even as three-day-long agitation called by the twin bodies ended in Kargil this evening with a massive protest rally.
Protesters raised four demands including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil and setting up of Ladakh Public Service Commission.
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Sources told the Excelsior that there have been no indications of talks between the MHA with LAB and KDA which were last held on May 27 in which the issues of domiciles and reservations were resolved and it was decided that next meeting will be held after a month.
However, since then excepting a meeting of LAB with visiting Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan during his two-day visit to Leh on June 30 and July 1, there has been no direct contact between the MHA and two bodies of Ladakh which have been agitating for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for past over four and half years now.
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Some of the LAB and KDA leaders while speaking to the Excelsior on condition of anonymity confirmed that there has been no direct or even indirect contact between them and the MHA now on when next meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) or Sub Committee will be held. The HPC is headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai while Sub Committee meeting is chaired by the senior officer of MHA in the rank of Joint Secretary.
“Over two and half months have passed without any meeting,’’ they said.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook, however, said tomorrow he will be meeting Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta as Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) president and not as LAB co-chairman. However, he didn’t rule out the issues of Ladakh being discussed in the meeting.
Sources said the Central Government is of the view that Union Territory status was long pending demand of the people of Ladakh, especially in Leh district and some parts of Kargil and that has already been fulfilled by the Central Government. Besides, their issues of domiciles, reservations in Government jobs and filling up of gazetted cadre posts through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) have already been addressed in May 27 meeting.
Meanwhile, three-day hunger strike jointly organized by KDA and LAB in support of their four demands including Statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the constitution ended with a massive rally here with participants warning to intensify their agitation if the Central Government continues to use delaying tactics to hold fresh round of talks with them.
The rally started from the venue of the hunger strike at Hussaini Park in the town and saw the leaders of both the groupings including co-chairman of LAB Chering Dorjay and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, co-Chairmen of KDA Asgar Ali Karbalai and Qamar Ali Akhoon and Member Parliament Ladakh Mohammad Haneefa Jan leading from the front.
Thousands of participants including religious leaders and Hill Council members marched through the town, chanting slogans in favour of Statehood, sixth Schedule, Public Service Commission and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil.
The participants also raised slogans like Hindustan Zindabad and “hum bheek nahi apna haq maangate” (We do not beg for alms, we demand our rights) before returning to the Hussaini Park, where the leaders of the two bodies addressed the gathering and accused the Government of forcing them to come on the roads by delaying the talks.
“This is a historic rally and a powerful message that the people of Ladakh are united in support of the four demands. We have started the fresh protest from Kargil but it will not restrict to this district alone but will be taken to every nook and corner of Ladakh if the Government does not show its willingness to continue the dialogue and address our concerns,” Dorjay said.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said the Core Group of both the groups will meet to chalk out the future course of action.
“We have already decided to intensify our agitation as the Government had promised to hold the next round of talks within one month after our last meeting in May. They are not showing seriousness,” he said.
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