Leh, October 8/ VOL News Desk/ The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Apex Body Leh (ABL) for another round of talks, with a key meeting between the MHA Sub-Committee and representatives of Ladakh scheduled to be held in Leh on October 15, according to reliable sources.

The development was confirmed by KDA Co-Chairman Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai in a telephonic conversation with a representative of Voice of Ladakh. Confirming the date and venue of the meeting, Karbalai said that he, KDA Co-Chairman Sajjad Hussain Kargili and Ghulam Rasool Naqash would attend the meeting on behalf of the KDA.

Asked about the agenda of the meeting and preparations by the KDA, Karbalai said the agenda was clear and that the MHA Sub-Committee would present a draft. According to him, the draft is expected to cover constitutional, executive and financial powers for Ladakh, along with issues related to Article 371, on which a degree of consensus was reached between the two sides during previous rounds of talks.

* Click to Follow Voice of Ladakh on WhatsApp *

He said the upcoming meeting is a continuation of the earlier dialogue process and is expected to focus on further progress on issues discussed between the government and representatives of Ladakh during previous meetings.

The KDA and ABL have been engaged in talks with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for several years over the political, constitutional and administrative future of Ladakh.

The key demands of the two organisations include statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, protection of land and employment rights, stronger constitutional safeguards for local people, an elected representative system, and greater constitutional and administrative powers.

The KDA and ABL have maintained that Ladakh’s existing administrative framework requires stronger constitutional and legal safeguards to protect the land, employment, cultural identity and political rights of the local population.

The last meeting between the two organisations and the MHA in the ongoing dialogue process was held in New Delhi on September 9. Following that meeting, expectations had been raised that the next round of talks would see further progress and that the government could present a proposed draft on constitutional and administrative reforms.

The October 15 meeting in Leh is therefore being viewed as an important development in the dialogue process, particularly in view of the expected presentation of the MHA’s proposed draft. The contents of the draft and the response of the KDA and ABL will indicate the extent of progress towards translating the points discussed and agreed upon during previous negotiations into concrete measures.

In view of the sustained campaign by the KDA and ABL over the past several years, the October 15 meeting is being considered significant for Ladakh’s long-standing constitutional, political and administrative demands.