Agitation to be intensified if there is no response
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 26: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) today held a massive rally in Leh as education reformist Sonam Wangchuk ended his nine-day long fast in support of four-point agenda of the LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
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The LAB leaders including its Chairman Thupstan Chhewang visited Sonam Wangchuk at the site of his fast and offered him juice to break his nine-day long fast in support of demands raised jointly by LAB and KDA for which a meeting was held in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 19.
Wangchuk had started the fast on June 18 a day ahead of crucial talks between Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and six representatives of LAB and KDA.
Addressing a massive gathering at NDA Ground in Leh, the LAB leaders expressed thanks to Wangchuk for his nine days climate fasting.
The gathering was addressed by Apex Body Chairman Thupstan Chhewang, Sonam Wangchuk, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Anjuman Imamiya president Ashraf Ali Barcha, LBA women president Yangchan Dolma, LBA youth wing president Rigzin Dorjay and others.
In his address, LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang, a two-tome Lok Sabha member from Ladakh threatened to accelerate protests from September onwards if the Union Government fails to initiate discussion on four-point agenda put forwards by the LAB and KDA.
After ending his fast, Wangchuk declared that the Government will be forced to concede demands raised by the people of Ladakh.
The agenda include Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, two separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil and expedited recruitment including Public Service Commission for Ladakh or inclusion of Ladakh in the PSC of Jammu and Kashmir on the pattern of common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh.
The MHA had on January 3 set up a High Powered Committee headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai comprising then LG of Ladakh RK Mathur, Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgayal and many leaders from Leh and Kargil.
However, the LAB and KDA in their meeting on January 7 decided to boycott the HPC on the ground that neither their agenda was included in the HPC nor the names of members recommended by them were inducted. Later, the LAB and KDA sent names to the Union Home Ministry which they wanted to be included in the HPC.
It may be mentioned here that LAB and KDA had held joint protest initially in Jammu followed by Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in support of their demands earlier.
Last year, both Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil had passed separate resolutions seeking Sixth Schedule like status to Ladakh. Leh Council is headed by the BJP while NC is ruling the Council in Kargil.
The BJP is, however, averse to the demand of Statehood for Ladakh saying UT was the demand of Ladakhis for past several years which was fulfilled by the Union Government on August 5, 2019.
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