New Delhi, Sep 9 – Leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) met a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sub‑committee expecting a concrete draft outlining the structure, powers and safeguards of a proposed elected body for Ladakh. Instead, the delegation received only a list of discussion points for a future meeting, prompting vocal disappointment from the groups.
Climate activist and LAB member Sonam Wangchuk, who attended the talks, said the meeting offered “no special progress” since the May 22 discussion that produced an in‑principle agreement on an elected UT‑level assembly, direct delimitation and elections. He noted that four months had elapsed, giving the ministry ample time to prepare a draft, yet none was presented.
ALSO READ | India Hosts 2026 BRICS Summit as Bloc Expands to 11 Nations Covering 47% of World Population
Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra framed the encounter positively, highlighting a discussion on a governance model under Article 371 of the Constitution. However, Wangchuk countered that the dialogue merely reiterated earlier understandings without advancing any substantive details on power distribution, law‑and‑order jurisdiction, or the promised constitutional safeguards for land, mining, identity, culture and languages.
KDA representative Sajjad Kargili echoed the sentiment, stating the delegation arrived with the hope of receiving a ready draft for the UT‑level elected body—a consensus issue that had been repeatedly affirmed. He warned that the groups would only consider the assurances satisfactory once a written draft is examined, and stressed that any major decision altering Ladakh’s “shape and form” must await the body’s formation.
The meeting also touched on compensation for victims of the Sep 24, 2025 violence in Leh, with the Centre indicating forthcoming payments. On the related legal cases, the Ladakh groups rejected a phased withdrawal proposal, insisting on a simultaneous dismissal of all cases, a request the ministry said it would consider. The next meeting is slated for early October in Kargil, while the groups signaled readiness to resume agitation if irreversible governance changes occur before the elected body is established.
