Centre’s bid to revive Ladakh talks stalls as ABL, KDA hold out

The Centre has taken some steps to revive the talks process in Ladakh, which has hit a wall with both the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) saying they would not participate in the discussions scheduled for October 6.
Sources said that the Centre has reached out to Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) president Chhering Dorje Lakruk, who is also co-chairman of the ABL. The LBA holds sway over the significant Buddhist population in Leh.
With the ABL and KDA, the representative bodies of Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, respectively, demanding that those detained following the violent September 24 protests be released first and a judicial inquiry be ordered, the government also sent another sign when 26 of the 50 detained were granted bail and released from jail on Thursday.
Sources in the ABL said they hope the remaining 24 detainees would also be given bail in a few days. Among those arrested, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was spearheading the Ladakh protests, has been held under the stringent National Security Act on charges of “instigating the violence” and moved to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
While acknowledging the Centre’s reconciliatory steps, Lakruk said time was running out for the government. “I think the talks scheduled for October 6 are difficult now,” he told The Indian Express.
KDA member Sajad Hussain also said: “There is very little possibility of the talks happening on October 6 as the Centre is yet to make the situation conducive for it. The Centre has to make some major announcements for the talks to proceed, like a judicial probe and compensation, and the release of Sonam Wangchuk ji. It is a welcome step that some people have been released, but they must release the others as well.”
The Ladakh leadership has also rejected the magisterial probe ordered into the September 24 violence by the administration, saying they want only a judicial inquiry.
After both the Leh and Kargil representative bodies announced their withdrawal from the October 6 talks, the Centre had issued a statement saying it has “always been open for dialogue on Ladakh matters”, and that the talk mechanism established with the ABL and KDA “has yielded good results till date in the form of increased reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of Ladakh, providing women reservation in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils and protection to local languages”.
But the demands of the ABL and KDA include statehood, protection under the Sixth Schedule (that provides for administration of tribal areas through autonomous hill councils, among other guarantees), a separate Public Service Commission, and a parliamentary seat each for Kargil and Leh. At present, Ladakh has a single parliamentary seat.