A day after the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) announced an “in-principle” understanding with the Union Government on restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing constitutional safeguards, the leaders on Saturday said they were awaiting a draft document from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and cautioned against any premature celebration.
The subcommittee-level talks between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Ladakh leaders were held in New Delhi on Friday. Following the meeting, the two bodies said an understanding had been reached to provide constitutional safeguards on the lines of Articles 371A, 371F and 371G, which are applicable in Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram respectively.
Gelek Phunchok, convenor of the Leh Apex Body, told The Tribune that although Friday’s development marked a significant breakthrough, the two bodies were still awaiting formal written communication from the MHA.
“We are also waiting for the minutes of Friday’s meeting,” he said, adding that the picture would become clearer once the proposal was received in writing. The matter would then be discussed further by the two bodies before taking any final decision, he added. Phunchok also said it was too early to celebrate the development.
A KDA leader said that while both sides appeared committed to finding a “mutually acceptable solution”, the alliance was waiting for the draft proposal from the MHA before moving ahead.
Talking to mediapersons in Delhi, activist Sonam Wangchuk said the government had proposed safeguards for Ladakh on the lines of Articles 371A and 371G and agreed in principle to a governance structure for the entire region rather than limiting powers to district councils.
Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili said the Centre had also proposed legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers for Ladakh and had been asked to share a formal draft for consultations with legal and constitutional experts.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, also welcomed Friday’s development.
“As the finer details are worked out through due deliberation and consultation with legal and constitutional experts, I wish to emphasise most earnestly that this process must be genuinely inclusive and participatory in the fullest sense. Every community, every region and every section of Ladakhi society must be taken into confidence,” Chairman of the LAHDC Kargil, Mohd Jaffar Akhoon, said.
He said no area should “feel overlooked, no community should feel excluded, and no voice should go unheard”.
“The strength and legitimacy of any constitutional framework for Ladakh will ultimately rest on whether it reflects the aspirations of all its people equally and without exception,” he added.
