Although the Union Home Ministry has invited agitating groups of Ladakh for the second round of talks on February 19, a massive protest was held in Leh town on Saturday in response to the "Leh Chalo" call.
While a protest was held in Leh, a complete shutdown was observed in Kargil town in response to the call of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
Today's protest and shutdown were observed in support of the four-point agenda of the Ladakhi people seeking Statehood, Constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, PSC and employment opportunities for Ladakh, and separate representation for Kargil and Leh districts in Rajya and Lok Sabha.
A large number of people gathered in Leh town on the Leh Apex Body's "Leh Chalo" call and normal life came to a standstill in the Kargil district where all establishments remained closed on the shutdown call given by Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
All Kargil Transporters Association, however, distanced itself from the shutdown call.
Union Home Ministry invites agitating groups for talks
The shutdown call was made despite the fact that Union Home Ministry on Friday invited Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) leaders for the second round of dialogue in New Delhi on February 19.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to convene a second meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC), comprising seven leaders each of LAB and KDA as its members, in the North Block of MHA, New Delhi at 11.30 am on February 19 "to discuss the issues as per the Term of References (ToRs) of the committee".
The MHA had constituted an HPC under the chairmanship of Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, for the Union Territory of Ladakh in January 2023. The committee was reconstituted as demanded by the LAB and KDA in November 2023.
The second meeting of HPC comes around a month after two organizations submitted a joint document of a draft of the demands to the MHA in New Delhi, as asked by the latter after their first meeting on December 4, 2023.
The submitted draft comprises key demands, including Statehood for Ladakh, two Parliamentary seats, setting up of the Public Services Commission (PSC), besides Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, and was accompanied by a template Act for the State of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, outlines amendments to the Constitution and the J&K Reorganization Act to accommodate the proposed demands.
On December 4, 2023, the LAB and KDA leaders briefed MoS Home, Nityanand Rai, who heads the HPC, of the situation in Ladakh and alleged disempowerment of local people by the bureaucracy in the Union Territory, as they rued their non-inclusion in the decision-making process by the administration.
The MHA had asked the LAB and KDA leaders not to hold protests and agitations till the official talks were on, with the latter assuring Rai that till the time talks were going on, they wouldn't carry on with their protests in Ladakh.
