LEH: The Leh Apex Body on Monday announced that it will stay away from talks with the High Powered Committee of the Home Ministry till normalcy is restored in Ladakh.
"We have unanimously agreed that the situation that is prevailing in Ladakh, keeping that in view, as long as peace is not restored in Ladakh, we will not participate in any talks," Chairman of Leh Apex Body Thupstan Chhewang said at a press conference here.
"We will urge the Home Ministry, UT administration, and the administration to take steps to address the atmosphere of fear, grief and anger that is there," he said.
Widespread violent protests occurred on September 24 during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to advance talks with the Centre on the demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
Four people were killed and scores of others were injured in clashes between protesters and security personnel, while over 50 people were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in rioting. Activist Wangchuk, the main face of the agitation, was also detained under the stringent NSA.
After nearly four months of stalled talks, the Centre had on September 20 extended an invitation to the LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been spearheading the agitation for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory.
The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) also on Monday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of activist Sonam Wangchuk and others detained after September 24 violence in Leh, warning the Centre that its failure to meet Ladakh statehood and other core demands is "alienating" the people in the Himalayan region.
Addressing a press conference here, KDA member Sajjad Kargili called for the unconditional release of Wangchuk, who was taken in custody under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and lodged in a Jodhpur jail, and other youth leaders detained in Leh.
He stressed that the demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule are "not negotiable."
"At a time when the nation is facing multiple challenges, such treatment of people of Ladakh, a sensitive region, will increase the sense of alienation and insecurity among the people," Kargili said, adding the government should "use wisdom and deal with people sensibly".
"The way bullets were fired, and many were injured, there should be some accountability... This is a big example of why we need democracy," Kargili said.
He questioned the government's stance, remarking, "What was wrong in Ladakh demanding democracy when Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about democracy being in the 'DNA' of Indians?"
Kargili asserted that the UT administration's handling of the situation was a failure, as he particularly pointed out the "lack of preparedness and the decision to open fire".
"The CRPF has failed us. Twenty of our soldiers were martyred on the China border, but the government did not give permission to open fire on the Chinese army. What kind of government is this, which has given the order to open fire on the protesters?” he said.
The KDA leader demanded an impartial judicial probe into the violence and accountability from the administration, especially given that it had claimed to have prior intelligence of potential unrest.
"When you have information... Why didn't you take preventive measures? Why did you have to fire?" he asked, comparing the response to the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, where a complete shutdown was enforced.
“Those who were protesting at the site of the fast were peaceful until the last. This happened outside. We are demanding an impartial judicial probe,” he said.
Kargili acknowledged that Wangchuk's arrest has amplified the region's issues nationally. "Very few people knew about the struggles of Ladakh, but after the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk, this issue and the demands of Ladakh have reached every home in the country," he said.
He predicted a surge in nationwide protests, noting, "Earlier, the protest was only in Ladakh; now you will see protests in different parts of the country."
He reiterated that dialogue had only occurred following protests, noting that the date for an upcoming meeting with Union Government representatives, likely to take place on Tuesday, was set only after Wangchuk's recent fast began.
"A sense of alienation, betrayal, is increasing among the people of Ladakh," Kargili said, adding, "The people of Ladakh are the strength of this country. They should not be pushed to the wall."
He affirmed that the long-standing demands remain non-negotiable, saying, "The idea of Union Territory has failed badly in addressing the aspirations of the people."
Kargili claimed that authorities are using festivals to distract the people of Ladakh and keep them out of policy discussions. He said the Ladakhis are demanding the protection of their tribal identity and the actual delivery of democracy.