SRINAGAR: The much-anticipated talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) ended without a concrete draft on the proposed democratic framework for Ladakh, with the delegation expressing disappointment over the lack of substantive progress.
The meeting, held at the MHA here on Wednesday evening, came nearly four months after the previous round of talks on May 22. The LAB-KDA delegation had arrived in Delhi expecting the government to place a draft outlining the proposed elected body and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.
Instead, according to the delegation, the MHA presented a set of questions and issues for discussion in the next round, leaving the leaders dissatisfied.
A major issue discussed during the meeting was the proposed elected body at the Union Territory level. The MHA reiterated that the body would be directly elected by the people, with separate delimitation and constituencies to facilitate direct elections, the delegation said.
The government also assured the leaders that safeguards relating to land, employment, identity, culture and language would be addressed, including those under the framework associated with Article 371.
The LAB and KDA, however, maintained that the assurances would need to be translated into a formal draft before their provisions could be examined and assessed.
The delegation said that the proposal for a directly elected UT-level body was largely a reiteration of what had been discussed during earlier meetings, and that the absence of a draft meant that little substantive progress could be reported from Wednesday’s talks.
The next round of talks has been scheduled to take place in Kargil during the first week of October.
The delegation is now expecting the MHA to work on a concrete proposal ahead of the meeting, particularly on the structure of the elected body, delimitation, constituencies and constitutional safeguards.
The issue of compensation for those killed and injured during the September 24, 2025 violence in Ladakh also figured in the discussions.
According to the LAB leadership, the government conveyed that compensation had been approved and that a formal announcement would be made shortly.
The delegation also pressed for the withdrawal of cases registered against people in connection with the agitation.
While the government had earlier suggested withdrawing the cases in phases, the LAB and KDA rejected the proposal and demanded that the cases be withdrawn collectively and in one go.
The MHA, according to the delegation, agreed to consider the demand, though no final assurance was given.
The leaders also raised concerns over major administrative and structural decisions being taken in Ladakh before an elected democratic body is established.
They demanded that no major or irreversible restructuring of the Union Territory be undertaken until such a body is in place.
The delegation specifically flagged issues including land transfers and other decisions that, it said, could have a lasting impact on the character and future of Ladakh.
The demand was also conveyed to the government in writing.
The delegation said that while the MHA indicated that some of these matters did not fall within its immediate purview, it formally cautioned the Chief Secretary of Ladakh against taking major irreversible decisions before the proposed democratic setup comes into existence.
The leaders warned that such decisions could force them to launch another agitation, while expressing hope that the situation would not reach that stage.
The LAB and KDA also reiterated their demand for legislation establishing a democratically elected assembly for Ladakh to be introduced in Parliament at the earliest, preferably during the upcoming Winter Session.
They argued that an elected assembly would provide a democratic platform to address the region’s political, constitutional and developmental concerns.
The leaders said that passage of such legislation could subsequently pave the way for the establishment of other democratic institutions, including district-level councils.
Meanwhile, the leadership was also asked about the proposed Pad Yatra, which had reportedly been scheduled for September 26 but was cancelled midway.
They said no final decision had been taken on whether the march would resume, adding that the decision would depend on the prevailing situation.
The leadership said the public would be informed in advance if the Pad Yatra is revived.
On concerns regarding participation, particularly by people who had already booked train tickets to travel to Delhi, the leaders said efforts would be made to ensure large-scale participation if the march is resumed.
The route and other details would be finalised after assessing the situation and announced subsequently.
