SRINAGAR: In a bid to address the ongoing concerns of Ladakh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited key representatives from the region for a high-level discussion scheduled for December 3 in New Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home, with top officials from the MHA, including the Home Secretary, expected to be present, reports appearing in media suggest.
Invitations have been extended to three prominent leaders from each of Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil districts. Among those invited are former Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang, Chering Dorjay Lakruk, and Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora from Leh, along with National Conference representative Qamar Ali Akhoon, Congress member Asgar Karbalaie, and activist Sajjad Kargili from Kargil. Chhewang and Lakruk hold leadership positions in the Leh Apex Body (LAB), while Akhoon and Karbalaie co-chair the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). Both the LAB and KDA have been instrumental in pushing for Ladakh’s four-point agenda, which includes demands for Sixth Schedule status, statehood, two Parliamentary seats, and a dedicated Public Service Commission.
Other invitees include Tashi Gyalson and Dr Zaffar Akhoon, the chairpersons of Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils respectively, Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa Jan, and Dr Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. Ahead of the talks, the LAB and KDA are expected to meet to align their strategy, with the intent to maintain their stance on the four-point agenda.
The issue of autonomy has been at the forefront since the High Powered Committee under Nityanand Rai was established on January 2, 2023, and reconstituted on November 30, 2023. While the MHA has previously rejected demands for Sixth Schedule status and statehood, it has indicated openness to protecting Ladakh’s cultural and economic interests through the twin Hill Development Councils.
In a related development, the Union Home Ministry announced on August 26 the formation of five new districts in Ladakh—Sham, Nubra, and Changthang in Leh district, along with Zanskar and Drass in Kargil district. Currently, Ladakh consists of only two districts, Leh and Kargil, and the addition will bring the total to seven. A high-level committee has been formed to finalise the boundaries and address related administrative matters.
