Daijiworld Media Network - Leh
Leh, Oct 19: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have rejected the latest draft proposals submitted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), describing them as a dilution of earlier assurances on Ladakh’s political and constitutional demands.
The two organisations have vowed to continue their agitation until Ladakh is granted a Union Territory-level elected legislative body with meaningful powers and constitutional safeguards.
The rejection follows talks between MHA officials and representatives of the two groups in Leh on October 15, during which officials presented a 32-page draft outlining the proposed governance framework for the Union Territory.
The LAB and KDA said the proposals fell short of Ladakh’s aspirations for democratic governance and the protection of its land, culture, language and natural resources.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey accused the Centre of backtracking on assurances given during a meeting in New Delhi on May 22. According to Dorjey, the Centre had then agreed to establish a directly elected UT-level body with legislative, executive, budgetary, planning and financial powers.
The proposed institution was expected to exercise legislative authority over land, culture, language, forests, the environment, natural resources and other subjects available to the Union Territory under Article 240 of the Constitution, he said.
“Now they are backtracking from it. We are not ready to discuss the proposals submitted by the MHA. These proposals are not acceptable to us,” Dorjey said.
He maintained that the latest draft appeared to favour a Territorial Council model with limited powers, a proposal that both the LAB and KDA had previously rejected.
Dorjey urged the Centre to accept the proposals submitted by the two organisations and accused it of engaging in a time-buying exercise instead of addressing Ladakh’s long-standing demands.
“We will not bow down from our stand for a UT-level Assembly and constitutional safeguards under Article 371(K). We will continue our agitation until our demands are met,” he asserted.
KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili said both organisations had expected the Centre to propose a stronger democratic framework backed by special constitutional safeguards.
Instead, he said, the MHA draft appeared to offer a Territorial Council with restricted authority.
“After receiving the draft, we exchanged our views with legal and constitutional experts and realised that it was not acceptable to us. The Apex Body and KDA reject it,” Kargili said.
He added that the two organisations would submit their comments and objections to the MHA on October 22, seeking a reconsideration of the proposals.
Groups Hope Centre Will Address Demands
Despite rejecting the draft, the LAB and KDA expressed hope that the Centre would take their concerns into account and address their demands for constitutional safeguards and an elected legislative body with substantial powers.
The two organisations have consistently sought greater political representation and constitutional protection for Ladakh following its separation from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its formation as a Union Territory in 2019.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra expressed disappointment over the rejection of the MHA draft by the two organisations, highlighting the differences between the administration and the groups over the proposed governance framework.
The rejection has cast uncertainty over efforts to reach a consensus on Ladakh’s political future, with the LAB and KDA maintaining that they will not withdraw their agitation until their key demands are met.