Ladakh Leaders Meet MHA Weeks After Deadly Protests

SRINAGAR: Leaders from Ladakh, where four people were killed in police firing during pro-statehood protests, met with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) representatives on Wednesday in sub-committee level discussions, signaling a possible resumption of dialogue.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) demanded the immediate release of all those arrested during and after the September 24 clashes, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuck, and called for adequate compensation for the families of those killed.

Lok Sabha MP Mohmad Haneefa, who attended the meeting, said, “This was our first meeting, and we can’t expect much from it. But we raised the issue of immediate release of all those who were arrested on or after September 24, including Sonam Wangchuck.” Wangchuck is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail under the National Security Act.

Sajjad Kargili of the KDA added, “We are hopeful that the government will respond positively to our demands.”

The MHA had announced a judicial inquiry on October 17 into the September 24 violence, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice B S Chauhan. The probe aims to examine the law and order situation, police action, and deaths of four civilians. Retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar and IAS officer Tushar Anand will serve as judicial and administrative secretaries, respectively.

The dialogue also focused on the LAB and KDA’s longstanding demands for constitutional safeguards and political autonomy for Ladakh, including full statehood, Autonomous District Councils, two Lok Sabha seats, and local employment protections to preserve the region’s culture, fragile ecosystem, and tribal rights.

The meeting marks the first engagement between Ladakh representatives and the Centre since the deadly protests, following the suspension of talks with the high-powered MHA committee in October. (KNC)