Despite the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accepting Ladakh leaders' demands for the establishment of a Public Services Commission (PSC) and the partial implementation of the Sixth Schedule through elected Ladakh Hill Development Councils (LADHC) in Leh and Kargil, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have called for a Ladakh Bandh on Wednesday.
They have insisted on the full implementation of the Sixth Schedule alongside Statehood. This decision follows Tuesday's Sub-Committee meeting and talks with Home Minister Amit Shah.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey said they are not happy with the progress on talks with the Centre on key issues. “We want full implementation of the Sixth Schedule and Statehood for the Ladakh,” he said. “Talks have not progressed on that front with the Union Home Ministry.”
He said a bandh would be observed in both the districts of Leh and Kargil on Wednesday.
The deadlock arose as the MHA proposed indirect implementation of some aspects of the Sixth Schedule while Ladakh representatives advocated for its direct implementation, particularly in the context of the demands for statehood.
Despite this impasse, the Home Ministry emphasised the need for continuous dialogue to provide necessary Constitutional safeguards to the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Sources said the LAB and KDA are trying to put pressure on the Centre to get their demands fulfilled given the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The BJP had won the lone Lok Sabha seat from Ladakh and the party wants to retain the seat.
Educationist and social reformer Sonam Wangchuk, who has been lobbying hard to get the demands of Ladakh accepted by the Centre, will be observing a fast on Wednesday in protest against the failed negotiations, and a rally is scheduled in Leh.
LAB and KDA leaders, currently in New Delhi, are expected to return to Ladakh shortly. They have declared their intention to engage with the local population to discuss the future course of action after talks failed to make any headway.
Over the past two years, LAB and KDA leaders have participated in a series of meetings with the Union Home Ministry, focusing on a four-point agenda that includes Statehood, the Sixth Schedule, the establishment of a Public Services Commission, and the allocation of two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh.
Ladakh became a UT on August 5, 2019, after Article 370 was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
