*Apex body meet with Shah deferred for a day
DM assures Leh delegation to address all issues
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 5: As crucial meeting between representatives of People’s Movement for Sixth Schedule of Leh with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was deferred to tomorrow in view of his preoccupation today, some of the representatives from Leh called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the situation prevailing along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh where standoff between Sino-Indian troops has prolonged due to which people living close to the LAC are also suffering.
Rajnath is understood to have assured the delegation that he will himself visit Ladakh shortly including forward areas along LAC in Eastern Ladakh and some of the villages where people are facing problems due to continued standoff between Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China.
Former two-time Lok Sabha member from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang led the delegation which also comprised Councilor from Chushul, an area which falls close to the LAC where large number of the Indian troops were present to effectively counter any threat from the Chinese army.
They briefed Rajnath Singh about problems faced by the people living close to the LAC as their cattle are unable to graze in the forward areas and their movement has also been restricted to some extent due to the standoff.
Chhewang told the Excelsior that Rajnath Singh gave patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that he will be visiting Ladakh shortly during which apart from touring forward areas of Eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control he will also visit villages close to the LAC and inter-act with representatives of the villagers to address their issues.
The Defence Minister is reported to have expressed commitment towards resolving all issues of Ladakhi people living close to forward areas of LAC saying the people have bravely faced lot of difficulties but continued to extend their full support to the Indian Army which has given a very effective response to the Chinese troops despite harsh weather conditions.
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in tense standoff in Eastern Ladakh for the past about six months and several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks didn’t yield fruitful results.
Only few days back, some Chinese people backed by their troops riding on two vehicles had entered forward village of Dokbuk Kakjung in Kyyul Nyoma area near Changthang in Leh district and tried to force the locals to go back from the area where they were grazing their cattle. However, they were forced to flee from the spot by local administration and people who gathered on spot in large numbers.
Meanwhile, the crucial meeting between apex body of Leh scheduled with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at 3 pm in New Delhi today was put off to 3 pm tomorrow due to preoccupation of the Home Minister.
“We will be meeting the Home Minister tomorrow now,” Chhewang said.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) Tashi Gyalson told the Excelsior from New Delhi that meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow. Gyalson said he and Ladakh Lok Sabha member of BJP Jamyang Tsering Namgayal yesterday met BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda and briefed him on political and other aspects of situation in Ladakh.
The people of Ladakh are demanding safeguards for their land, jobs, culture, identity, language, geography etc which has been assured by the Union Home Ministry.
Sources said since the Union Home Ministry is concerned about issues raised by the apex body of Ladakh, a solution is likely to be worked out in tomorrow’s meeting between leaders of Leh and the Union Home Minister.
It may be mentioned here that the People’s Movement, comprising leaders of all political parties and religious organizations of Leh had given call for boycott of LAHDC Leh elections soon after they were announced in September. No candidate had filed nomination papers for elections after the boycott call.
Home Minister Amit Shah had later called the Movement leaders for talks in New Delhi and assured to address their concerns including Sixth Schedule like status for Ladakh after election process for the LAHDC Leh is over. The BJP had won clear majority in the LAHDC Leh securing 15 out of 26 seats leaving Congress at second spot with nine seats.
The Union Home Ministry had promised all Constitutional safeguards to the people of Ladakh enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India either by implementing the Sixth Schedule or in any other form. It had said the decision will be taken in consultations with representatives from Leh and Kargil.
The Home Ministry had also agreed to empowerment of Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, which was one of the demands projected by the delegation.
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