After fresh round of talks held last month post Leh violence, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a fresh detailed draft from Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on their demands before inviting them for next round of dialogue in New Delhi.
Both the key organisations of Ladakh region are said to be working on preparing new draft in which all their demands could be placed in the changed scenario after violence took place in September apart from arrests of many leaders including activist Sonam Wangchuk.
“The LAB is working on the draft. It held a meeting in Leh today to discuss and finalize its points in the draft. Thereafter, it will seek draft from the KDA. Later, both the organizations will sit and prepare the document with consensus,” LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk said. He said it will be a joint draft prepared with consensus by both the organizations.The leaders will first deliberate and discuss all points to be included in the draft before submitting it to the MHA.
It is understood that the new draft will have details of demands being projected by the LAB and KDA for Ladakh and will elaborate on justification for what they are seeking from the Central Government after Ladakh became a Union Territory on August 5, 2019.The Statehood, Sixth Schedule status, release of all detainees who are still in the jails post September 24 violence and certain guarantees for the people of Ladakh are among the issues which are being discussed for projection in the draft, the sources said, adding it will be ready in next few days for discussion.
“We are taking our all constituents in the LAB on board", said the sources. Similarly, the organizations affiliated with the KDA will also be involved in the exercise. This will follow joint meeting of LAB and KDA to finalize the draft,” the sources further said, adding that assistance of the LAB Legal Advisors is also being taken in the draft.The leaders want to project demands in such a way that the Home Ministry doesn’t find any objection or fault on any account.
Another significant point with regard to next meeting to be convened by the MHA will be that of the High Powered Committee (HPC) and not the Sub Committee which was held on October 22 in New Delhi. The HPC meeting will be chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.The HPC will have six representatives each from LAB and KDA as against three each in the Sub Committee besides the Ladakh MP, Kargil Hill Council Chairperson and senior officials of the MHA and Ladakh UT administration.
Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after September 24 violence which took place during strike called by youth wing of the LAB seeking preponement of talks with the MHA which were scheduled for October 6. Four civilians were killed and many others were injured in the violence.Both the Ladakh organizations (LAB and KDA) stayed away from the dialogue slated for October 6.
The last round of talks between the two sides was held on May 27.
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