home Ministry
– Photo: File
Expansion
A 14-member delegation of Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Tuesday held a meeting with the high-powered committee led by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai regarding granting special status to the Union Territory of Ladakh and other demands. After discussion in the meeting, it was decided that these demands would be considered again on February 24. It was decided to form a subcommittee for this.
After the positive attitude in the meeting, it was decided to postpone the fast unto death for some time from 20th February. A joint release issued by LAB and KDA said that the sub-committee formed to consider the demands in detail included Thuptasan Chiwang, Charing Dorje Lakruk and Nawang Ringjin Jora from the apex body and Qamar Ali Akhun, Asghar from the KDA. Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili have been kept.
The names of the members of the sub-committee have been informed to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla. All the members of the sub-committee are currently in Delhi and are hopeful of a positive outcome in the next meeting. In this meeting, the issue of giving full statehood to Ladakh and including it in the sixth list, giving two Lok Sabha seats instead of one and constituting a separate Public Service Commission for Ladakh will be discussed in detail. Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal was also present in the delegation.
There was a big demonstration in Ladakh on 3rd February
It is noteworthy that LAB and KDA have been demanding attention from the Center on these demands for the last several months. On January 16 itself, the draft related to these demands was submitted to the Home Ministry. Seeing that there was no murmur, a big demonstration was held in Ladakh on February 3 in support of the demands. In this, calls were also given for Kargil Bandh and Leh Chalo. These four demands are being taken very seriously in Ladakh. Leh’s education and environment activist Sonam Wangchuk has announced a fast unto death if these demands are not accepted.