Reddy heads Panel to take call on issues of Ladakh
At New Delhi meeting, KDA seeks Statehood
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 1: The Union Home Ministry today announced setting up of a high-powered committee to be headed by Union Minister of State for Home GK Reddy and comprising officials of MHA, Union Territory Admini-stration of Ladakh, Lok Sabha Member, CEC-cum-Chairpersons of twin Hill Councils of Leh and Kargil and two representatives each of Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance to resolve the issues of Ladakh.
Constitution of the Committee was announced by Reddy after two and half hours long meeting with 11 members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in New Delhi this afternoon which was also attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Additional and Joint Secretaries in MHA Incharge Ladakh desk.
Participants told the Excelsior on telephone from New Delhi that composition of the Committee which will study the issues projected by the Leh Apex Body as well as Kargil Democratic Alliance will be formally announced shortly but it will be headed by Reddy and will have officials from the MHA as well as UT Administration of Ladakh. Lok Sabha Member from the UT Jamyang Tsering Namgayal will also be one of the members of the Committee along with Tashi Gyalson, CEC-cum-Chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, Feroz Khan, CEC LAHDC Kargil and two leaders each who will be nominated to the Panel by Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance.
Eleven representatives of the KDA, who participated in the meeting, include Feroz Khan, Qamar Ali Akhoon, former Minister and prominent National Conference leader, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie, former MLA and Congress leader, Sajjad Kargili, representative of Islamiya School Kargil (ISK), who had contested 2019 Lok Sabha election as an Independent candidate, Sheikh Bashir, who represents Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT), Aga Mohammad Shah, representative of Noorbaksha, a religious organization, Shah Nawaz, who represents Ahle Sunnat-ul-Jamaat, Zakir Hussain of Student Education Movement of Kargil, Haji Haniefa Jan, district president National Conference, Nasir Hussain Munshi, district president Congress and Syed Ahmad Rizvi, Anjuman Suheb-Zamia.
“The discussions were free and frank and were held in very cordial atmosphere. This was probably for the first time that Kargil leaders got such a good chance at an important forum to air their views. Each and every invitee was allowed to speak and the Minister of State for Home and the MHA officials listened to us very patiently,” one of the participants said expressing confidence that outcome of the talks will be good.
Chairman-cum-CEC LAHDC Kargil Feroz Khan told the Excelsior that the Kargil Democratic Alliance demanded restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A and Statehood to Ladakh.
“When we demand restoration of the twin Articles, it is purely in the context of safeguards of our land, job and culture and shouldn’t be linked with any community or religion,” Khan said, adding even the Leh Apex Body has asked for Legislature to safeguard the identity of Ladakhis as the Legislature will have powers to make legislations,” he said.
Khan added that they are asking for Statehood as the Union Territory with Legislature will remain in conflict with the Central Government as has been the case in New Delhi. Therefore, the Kargil Democratic Alliance has called for full Statehood to Ladakh so that elected representatives can frame the laws which are in interests of the people, Khan said.
Former Minister and National Conference leader Qamar Ali Akhoon said: “Our agenda focused on the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35-A. We also told the Home Minister that we were against division but in favour of the State. We don’t consider UT. We also discussed development issues”.
Sources said almost all 11 members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance spoke on similar lines to present united face.
The LAHDC Kargil Chairman-cum-CEC also projected issues of the Hill Council including implementation of the commitment made by the Central Government that annual grants of the two Councils will not lapse as Ladakh has limited working season.
Sources said the Union Home Ministry has already held one interaction with the Leh Apex Body which has now demanded UT with Legislature and is expected to hold one or two more meetings with delegations of Leh and Kargil before calling them unitedly to address their issues.
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