MHA invites LAB, KDA leaders for talks on Oct 22 in New Delhi; both bodies to join

Sub-Committee meeting to be followed by HPC
*Dialogue on Statehood, Sixth Schedule status

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 19: After announcing judicial inquiry into September 24 violence in Leh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today invited the leaders of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for talks on October 22 in New Delhi.

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However, this will be the Sub-Committee meeting which can clear grounds for the High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, sources told the Excelsior.

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The Sub Committee meeting is likely to be chaired by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and Chief Secretary Ladakh Pawan Kotwal and will be attended by three members each from LAB and KDA, Member Parliament Ladakh Hanifa Jan and the Advocate LAB.
The LAB members will be represented by Thupstan Chhewang, Chering Dorjay Lakruk and Ashraf Ali besides their advocate Haji Mustafa while the KDA members who will attend the meeting include Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Kargili.
This will be after nearly five months that the dialogue stalled between twin Ladakh bodies and MHA will resume. Last direct talks between the two were held during the HPC meeting in New Delhi on May 27.
Following September 24 violence in Leh in response to a bandh call by youth wing of the LAB, the MHA called the meeting with representatives of Ladakh on October 6. However, the LAB and KDA refused to attend the meeting seeking judicial inquiry into violence, release of all detainees including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk etc.
A day before, the MHA announced judicial inquiry into September 24 violence in which four persons were killed and 90 others including some security personnel were injured after which the LAB and KDA announced that they are ready to participate in dialogue.
However, as per the sources, the Sub Committee meeting has been called in consultations with the LAB and KDA, who were of the view that this will create ground for the HPC meeting.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told the Excelsior that they have now only two major issues for discussions including Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
“We have only two issues to discuss now-Statehood and Sixth Schedule status,” he said.
On September 29, the LAB announced that it would stay away from talks with the HPC of the MHA, scheduled for October 6, following the killing of four protesters and injuries to many during widespread violence in Leh on September 24.
“We were informed by the Home Ministry that a meeting of the Sub-Committee is scheduled for October 22, and both LAB and KDA are invited to it. We welcome the decision of the Government of India to invite us and look forward to the positive outcome of the dialogue,” Lakruk said in a brief chat with media persons in Leh.
Expressing confidence of a fruitful outcome in the fresh round of talks, Lakruk said the apex body chairman and former MP Thupstan Chhewang will lead their delegation, while KDA will be led by co-chairmen Qamar Ali Akhoon and Asgar Ali Karbalai, along with prominent member Sajjad Kargili.
Lakruk said he, along with Anjuman Imamia president Ashraf Ali Barcha and LAB legal advisor, are also taking part in the talks besides the Ladakh MP.
The talks will pave the way for the next round of discussions with the High-Powered Committee headed by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, he said

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