VoL Desk, November 04: The Ladakh leaders, comprised of seven members each from the Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance, convened with the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi on Monday.

In an interview, Chhering Dorjey Lakruk stated that while the MHA attentively heard their demands and grievances, the meeting cannot yet be deemed a success as there is no assurance to fulfill their requests. Although the MHA pledged to engage in further discussions, a concrete timeline for the subsequent meeting was not established.

The MHA proposed alternative safeguards for Ladakh instead of the sixth schedule and statehood. However, the Ladakh leaders persisted in their insistence on these two key demands. “The center must take decisive action promptly,” emphasized Thupstan Chewang in the meeting, advocating for a meaningful decision as a gift for the people of Ladakh to coincide with the upcoming Losar, but unfortunately, no decisions were reached, leading to a postponement, as expressed by Lakruk.

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Lakruk further emphasized the necessity of clarity, noting, “Not receiving a definitive ‘yes’ implies a ‘no.’ Therefore, we must brace ourselves for a persistent, long struggle.”

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Sonam Wangchuk remarked that the timing of the meeting, deliberately set for December 4, one day after election results in several other states, raised suspicions. He suggested that Ladakh’s future might be contingent on the election results, insinuating that if the outcomes favored the BJP, Ladakh’s concerns might not be taken seriously. Lagruk concurred with this perspective.

Reflecting on the meeting’s progress in a social media exchange, Sajjad Kargili highlighted the leaders’ demand for a time-bound resolution to their issues. However, while the MHA assured a follow-up meeting after the winter session, slated possibly in Leh, no concrete commitments were made.

Regarding the contentious industrial policy, Home Ministry representatives indicated reservations about recent industrial land allotment policy. The issue of the disempowerment of autonomous hill councils in Ladakh was also raised.

While the CEC Kargil explicitly supported the demands of the Apex Body and KDA, the CEC Leh and MP Ladakh did not oppose the demands, signifying unity across Ladakh on these issues, said Sajjad Kargili.

There appears to be some progress concerning the formation of a public service commission and the recruitment of gazette posts, expected to see action soon. However, Sajjad Kargili urged caution and hopefulness regarding other Ladakh issues.

Notably, the Home Ministry representatives included Minister of State for Home Nitianand Rai and the Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Additionally, the meeting witnessed the participation of CEC Kargil Dr. Mohd Jaffar Akhoon, CEC Leh Adv. Tashi Gyaltsan, and Ladakh’s Member of Parliament, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.

From the Kargil Democratic Alliance, the attending members were Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Sajjad Hussain, Sheikh Bashir Shakir, Skarma Dadul, Mubarak Shah Nagvi, and Syed Ahmad Rizvi. Representing the Apex Body Leh were Thupstan Chewang, Chhering Dorje, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Ashraf Ali Barcha, Dr. Abdul Qayoom, Ve. Tsering Wangdus, and Padma Stanzin.

(Note: The image is for representation purposes only and does not depict the meeting described above.)