Govt open for dialogue: MHA
JAMMU, Sept 30:
As the Leh Apex Body (LAB) today announced that it will stay away from talks with the Government till normalcy and conducive atmosphere are restored in Ladakh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said the Government has always been open for dialogues on Ladakh matters with LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) at any time.
“We would continue to welcome the discussion with LAB and KDA through the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh or any such platform,” a statement issued by the MHA tonight after LAB press conference in Leh in the afternoon, said.
The dialogue mechanism established with LAB and KDA through the HPC on Ladakh has yielded good results till date in the form of increased reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of Ladakh, providing women reservation in LAHDCs (Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils) and protection to local languages. The process of recruitment for 1800 posts in Government has already commenced in UT of Ladakh, the MHA said.
“We are confident that continuous dialogue would yield the desired results in near future,” the MHA statement said.
The LAB and KDA meeting was scheduled in New Delhi today while the HPC meeting to be chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai was fixed for October 6. The KDA leaders had reached New Delhi while the LAB leaders were scheduled to depart for the capital in the afternoon after funeral of two firing victims in Leh.
Last rites of two civilians killed in police and CRPF firing in Leh on September 24 were performed today. Two civilians killed in the firing were cremated yesterday with limited people including family members, relatives, religious and LAB leaders allowed.
Curfew was imposed on September 24 following clashes in which four civilians were killed and 90 others including many police and CRPF personnel were injured.
Curfew was relaxed for two hours at 4 PM in the entire town today. There was no untoward incident reported from anywhere.
Meanwhile, hardening its posture following killing of four protesters, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) today announced that it will stay away from talks with the Government till normalcy and a conducive atmosphere is restored in Ladakh.
However, it said they can rethink to join the talks on October 6 if the Government orders a judicial probe by a retired Supreme Court Judge into the killings, and release all those taken into custody including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Addressing a joint press conference in Leh, LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang and co-chairman Chering Dorjay, said the people of Ladakh will never tolerate the “anti-national” or “Pakistani agent” tag as they have always shown loyalty to the country.
The press conference was organized shortly after the fourth slain person — a former Army soldier — was cremated amid tight security in curfew-bound Leh.
“We have unanimously agreed that the situation that is prevailing in Ladakh, keeping that in view, as long as peace is not restored and a conducive atmosphere is not created, we will not participate in any talks (with the High Powered Committee of the Home Ministry),” Chhewang, a former two-time Member of Parliament, said.
“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.
Dorjay, who briefed the media about the steps needed to be taken by the Government to “restore the shaken confidence” of the people including a judicial probe, said “if right steps are taken before the scheduled next round of talks (on October 6), they will rethink about returning to the table.”
Asked about the presence of KDA representatives in Delhi in connection with the talks, he said “we are on a single page…we have neither talked to them nor conveyed our decision (to stay away from talks) so far. Probably they will not have a second thought on this.”
“After a long struggle of 70 years, the Centre granted Union Territory status to Ladakh without a Legislature (in August 2019), but it was not as per our expectations and justice. We felt that the safeguards provided to us under Article 370 and Article 35A were eroded along with democracy, prompting us to launch a fresh agitation for our genuine rights,” Chhewang said.
He said the Central Government initially assured them of the safeguards, and a process of talks continued for five years on their four demands – extension of safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, Statehood, separate cadre, job reservation and Public Service Commission, and separate Lok Sabha seats.
“Our struggle was continuing in a peaceful manner, but what happened on September 24 was beyond one’s understanding… the CRPF used excessive force, killing and injuring our people and creating an atmosphere of fear, grief and anger,” he alleged.
He said while they were peacefully holding protests, including a hunger strike, the administration used “excessive force” , despite the fact that the LAB was in touch with the Central Government and preparing for the talks, notwithstanding the differences over the dates.
Referring to the statement of Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta and Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal, he said they leveled serious allegations against the people of Ladakh and such statements are not tolerable.
“LG says we are playing in the hands of foreign powers and referred to the people including those from Doda and Nepal who were injured in the clashes. DGP accused Wangchuk of involvement in anti-national activities and tried to link him to Pakistan. Our people got distressed by the allegations,” he said, demanding proof of the allegations.
Blaming the Government for the violence and the subsequent deaths, he said the youth were compelled to come on the roads due to delay in talks.
Demanding release and revoking of all cases against the youth, he said the allegations against Wangchuk, who was arrested under National Security Act on September 26, are baseless and he was framed only because he was in the forefront and reminding BJP of its promises through hunger strikes and foot marches.
“They are putting all these allegations on our people to hide their weakness. This is a very serious matter,” he said, adding they have proof that CRPF personnel who were recently brought to Leh opened indiscriminate fire without the Magistrate’s order and also indulged in excesses.
He said they wanted to silence the people of Ladakh and continue the talks at gunpoint.
He said the people of Ladakh were also hurt by stopping them from participating in the funeral of the four persons.
“They are our heroes and we will treat them as martyrs. We want justice for their families and the people of Ladakh,” Dorjay said.
In response to another question, he said they were against Article 370 and considered it as an obstacle in fulfilling their dream of separate UT.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, today again chaired a high-level review meeting on the prevailing law and order situation in the Union Territory.
In the meeting, Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Director General of Police Dr. S.D. Singh Jamwal, Rajesh Kumar, Additional Director General, CRPF; and senior officers of the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were present. The officers briefed the Lt Governor on the latest developments, preparedness measures and coordination among agencies to maintain peace and order in the Union Territory.
The Lieutenant Governor took a detailed assessment of the ground situation in view of the recent developments and the relaxation of restrictions in certain areas. He expressed appreciation for the responsible conduct of the people, who have largely cooperated with the administration in maintaining calm and discipline during the sensitive period.
“The people of Ladakh have shown remarkable maturity, restraint, and commitment to peace even in challenging circumstances. Their patience and cooperation reflect the true spirit of harmony that defines our region,” the LG said.
While acknowledging the role of security forces, police, and local administration for their coordinated efforts in ensuring normalcy, Gupta urged officials to remain vigilant, responsive, and people-friendly in their approach. He emphasised that law and order must be enforced firmly yet sensitively, keeping in mind the welfare and sentiments of the local population.
The Lieutenant Governor also issued clear directions for enhanced intelligence gathering, regular community engagement, and swift redressal of public grievances to strengthen trust between the administration and the citizens. He called upon youth to channelize their energies towards constructive nation-building and assured that every legitimate concern of the people will be addressed through dialogue and democratic means.