With no response from MHA, Ladakh groups give ‘Delhi Chalo’ call on Feb 15
Even as Union Home Ministry is exploring all options to resume dialogue with the warring groups in Ladakh, the leaders of two frontline organisations—Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Leh Apex Body (LAB)—have given “Delhi Chalo” call and decided to hold strong protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 15.
The KDA and the LAB have been spearheading agitation in support of their four major demands including full-fledged statehood for Ladakh, implementation of Sixth Schedule to protect the interest of the tribal people of Ladakh, separate Lok Sabha seats for Kargil and Leh, and establishment of ‘Ladakh Public Service Commission’ with the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) as a mandatory requirement for all Gazetted Posts in Ladakh.
“We have written to the Centre, expressing our disagreement over the unilateral constitution of the High Powered Committee (HPC) but we have received no response to the communication. We have decided to go ahead with our protest call at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. It has been decided that the representatives of KDA and LAB, supported by student, social and political groups, will hold a strong protest in Delhi on February 15 afternoon,” Qamar Ali Akhoon, former minister and senior leader of KDA.
Akhoon said the demands of Ladakhi people were genuine and the Centre should seriously consider them at the earliest.
On January 15, prominent leaders belonging to KDA and LAB had staged a strong protest here in Jammu as part of a campaign to press for their four demands. They had decided to stay away from the HPC constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs as the government, they alleged, ignored their four-point agenda and also paid no heed to their suggestion about the composition of the panel.
If sources are to be believed, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in order to avoid any confrontation with the groups from Ladakh, has been exploring all options to keep dialogue channels open.
“The Centre is contemplating to fulfill two major demands of the protesting groups comprising alternation in the list of members of HPC besides bringing a change in agenda for the dialogue as demanded by KDA and LAB. Both groups want inclusion of all their four major demands in their agenda for talks,” sources said, adding “the MHA is likely to come out with revised HPC in next few days”.
According to an MHA order, the 17-member committee that also includes Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur and BJP Lok Sabha member JamyangTsering Namgyal would “discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and language taking into consideration its geographical location and its strategic importance”.
The order, however, was silent on the key demands of the LAB and the KDA, which include statehood for the Union territory of Ladakh, constitutional safeguard under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, formation of Public Service Commission and reservation of jobs for youth of Ladakh, and creation of two separate parliamentary constituencies for Leh and Kargil.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre repealed Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories—J&K and Ladakh.
The people in the Buddhist dominated Leh and Kargil areas welcomed the decision but Kargil, where Muslims constitute a majority, rejected the move and demanded the restoration of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
