Ladakh administration urges LAB to reconsider March 16 rally, says new LG keen to engage with all stakeholders

SRINAGAR: The Ladakh administration on Friday appealed to the Leh Apex Body to reconsider its proposed March 16 procession in the Union Territory, and said it was committed to a dialogue.

LAB, which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has been demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, had last week announced its plan to hold a peaceful rally to press for a dialogue.

Addressing a presser, chief secretary Ashish Kundra said though they had a democratic right to hold a rally, the administration was “appealing to them to reconsider the decision”. He said the new lieutenant governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, who took oath on Friday, had expressed willingness to engage with all stakeholders in Leh and Kargil, and also talk to the central govt.

Kundra, who was flanked by the DGP Mukesh Singh, said the tourist season was about to begin, and such a procession could create a negative impression about the situation in the region and send out a message that there was an environment of bandh and protests. It could also impact the local economy, he added.

“We have come here to start a new beginning and want to hold dialogue in an open manner,” the chief secretary further said.

LAB decided to hold the march citing the delay in another round of talk between Ladakhi leaders and the Union home ministry’s high-powered committee. Both LAB and KDA have urged people from across the UT to participate in the rally.

The previous round of talks between Ladakhi leaders and the MHA committee was held in New Delhi on Feb 4, but ended “without any conclusion”, according to LAB and KDA. The two bodies had then expressed hope that the ministry would soon convene another round of discussions.

Kundra said the Feb 4 meeting was held in a democratic and positive atmosphere. The groups had submitted a draft proposal to the home ministry, which had sought clarifications as the demands did not appear to be unanimous, he added. “In some cases, they are demanding statehood; in others, they are seeking a UT with a legislature; while some are talking about inclusion under the Sixth Schedule,” Kundra said.

“There are also people who are not part of the committee, including those living in Zanskar, who have different viewpoints. Any decision that will have an impact on the region for the next 50 years cannot be taken in just 15 days,” Kundra said, adding that there was a need to build a broad consensus before any major decision was taken on the issue.
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