SRINAGAR: The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Leh Apex Body (LAB), an amalgam of political, religious and trade groups of Kargil and Leh districts of Ladakh, have ruled out participation in meetings of a 17-member committee headed by MoS Home Nityanand Rai formed by Ministry of Home Affairs last week if statehood and constitutional safeguards under 6th Schedule to Ladakh UT are not included in agenda of the panel.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai told this newspaper that a joint meeting of KDA and LAB was held on Saturday to discuss participation in the meeting. “Both the bodies decided against participation in the meetings of the panel. We will only participate in meetings if four points are included in the panel’s agenda, including statehood for Ladakh, constitutional safeguard under the 6th Schedule to protect the interests of tribal people of Ladakh, reservation in jobs for local youth, and creation of two separate parliamentary constituencies for Leh and Kargil districts,” he said.
Karbalai said both KDA and LAB have objected to the members of the panel as the government has arbitrarily excluded and included members without consultation with the two bodies. Both KDA and LAB, he said, have suggested names of 15 people for their inclusion in the panel.
The four issues raised by KDA and LAB were missing from the agenda of the high-powered committee.
According to the MHA, the 17-member panel was set up to discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and language, and ensure the protection of land and employment for the people of Ladakh besides discussing measures for inclusive development and employment generation in the region empowerment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHC) Leh and Kargil.
Both LAB and KDA have threatened to intensify their agitation to press the central government to fulfil their demands. The leaders of two bodies would be holding a protest rally in Jammu on January 15. They would also be holding a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi in the third week of February.