No invite from MHA for last several months
Two bodies to draw future course of action next week
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 7: The Union Territory of Ladakh is likely to witness hot summer this season with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) gearing up for agitation in support of their demands for Statehood and Constitutional safeguards among others from June 1 if their issues are not addressed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs till then.
The ultimatum has been served by the LAB which is also in touch with the KDA and both the bodies of Leh and Kargil districts are expected to meet together next week to draw final course of agitation for their demands.
In addition to their existing demands, the LAB has also charged the Government with withdrawing powers and rights of twin Hill Councils of Leh and Kargil districts.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs hasn’t extended any invite to the LAB or KDA for talks on the demands raised by them in August last year before visiting Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai though the latter’s promise that they would be formally called for dialogue in New Delhi together.
The LAB leaders were reported to have spoken to the KDA leadership and the two organizations have agreed to meet next week to work out schedule of agitation.
“The agitation calendar will be joint and unanimous,” they said, adding they proposed to start agitational programme with massive protests followed by bandh and some other forms of protest which will be discussed at the next week’s meeting.
Sources said both the organizations were of the view that the Central Government is not going to address their issues without agitation which is evident from the fact that they have not been even called for talks despite promise made by the Union MoS Home.
Presently, both the organizations are engaged in mobilizing people at block level for the proposed agitation. They have been regularly holding programmes at blocks in support of their issues.
Reliable sources said the MHA which had earlier held talks with two bodies, appears to be in no mood to discuss demand for the Statehood to Ladakh but is ready for talks after they dilute the demand.
The Central Government has clearly indicated that it was averse to demand of the Statehood to Ladakh as it fulfilled decades old demand, which mainly originated in Leh district, for Union Territory status to Himalayan region on August 5, 2019, the day erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped off special status and bifurcated into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
The BJP has already dissociated itself from demand of the Statehood to Ladakh raised by the LAB and KDA but is fully supportive of granting Sixth Schedule like status to the Union Territory and jobs for the unemployed youth. The BJP is of the view that grant of Union Territory status was major demand of the Himalayan region which was fulfilled by the Central Government on August 5, 2019.
In addition to Statehood to Ladakh, the LAB and KDA have been demanding Sixth Schedule like status, two Parliamentary seats–one each in Leh and Kargil and job opportunities for the youth.
Charging the Central Government with adopting “delaying tactics”, sources within the LAB and KDA said Nityanand Rai during talks with them on August 29 in Leh had assured constitution of a high-level committee shortly for further dialogue but even after passage of nearly six and half months not even the Panel has been set up so far what to say of initiating the dialogue.
“This shows the Centre is adopting delaying tactics,” they said.
It was on August 2, 2021 that the ideologically different representatives of Kargil and Leh districts joined hands to seek full-fledged Statehood along with Constitutional safeguards for the region.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
