The Ladakh leaders have ‘de-politicised’ their delegation that is holding talks with the Centre for inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and for granting full statehood.
This was done after former Member of Parliament Thupstan Chhewang, a two-time MP respected across Leh and Kargil, agreed to return as the head of the Leh Apex Body, representing religious and political bodies of Buddhist-majority Leh, to lead future talks with the Centre.
Chhewang had quit over the alleged ‘partisan role of some members’ in the negotiating team, which also comprises members from the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) representing political and religious organisations of the Muslim majority in Kargil.
The Ladakh leaders are upset that the Centre has not invited them for further talks on the issue of Statehood and the Sixth Schedule after the last round with the High Power Central team led by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
Considerable progress has already been achieved on the demands of Ladakh after the region was granted Union Territory status following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
The Centre has accepted the demand for a favourable domicile law, reserving 85 per cent of jobs for locals and protecting to culture and languages of the region.
However, the Centre has rejected the demand for Statehood to Ladakh but expressed readiness to apply provisions of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh applicable to the regions.
The silence of the Centre on further talks has created unease in Ladakh. Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk has started a 35-day hunger strike in favour of the demand for Statehood and the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. The strike will conclude on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Wangchuk’s hunger strike has once again focused attention on Ladakh's demand and piled pressure on the Centre.
Ladakh leaders have warned that if there is no invitation from the Centre for talks, they will intensify their agitation.
Sources said the de-politicisation of the negotiating team is the first step towards hardening the stand on the demand for constitutional safeguards for the region.
The decision to depoliticise the delegation came after differences within LAB over the platform getting politicised in view of the upcoming Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh elections.
The influential Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) on September 13 passed a resolution to separate political parties from LAB and to bring back Chhewang as leader “at all costs.”
The development led the Congress unit to support the resolution to keep the movement non-political.