The next round of subcommittee-level talks between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh leaders will be held in New Delhi on May 22, senior leaders said on Wednesday.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had earlier announced the date of the meeting ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Ladakh on April 30. The subcommittee is chaired by senior officials from the MHA and the Ladakh administration.
With the date approaching, Ladakh leaders had been awaiting formal confirmation and an invitation from the Home Ministry.
Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told The Tribune that the Apex Body had received the invitation for the talks. “Three members from the Apex Body will attend the meeting. An equal number will represent the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA),” he said.
Lakruk said climate activist Sonam Wangchuk would be among the three representatives travelling to New Delhi for the meeting.
The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have been engaged in talks with the Centre since 2021 over their four-point agenda, which includes statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.
This will be the first subcommittee-level meeting since Vinai Kumar Saxena took over as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in March. Since assuming office, Saxena has initiated outreach measures, expressed confidence in the dialogue process and pushed for development and revival of stalled projects.
The Centre had constituted a High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai to deliberate on issues concerning the Union Territory. The last meeting of the HPC was held in New Delhi on February 4, after which no immediate follow-up meeting was convened.
The talks are taking place amid internal differences within the Leh Apex Body. Its founding chairman and veteran Ladakhi leader Thupstan Chhewang is currently at odds with the organisation’s leadership.
The differences have triggered concerns among residents, who fear that internal divisions could weaken Ladakh’s broader political movement.
