LEH: The latest round of sub-committee-level talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh’s representatives ended without consensus on Wednesday, with leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) expressing dissatisfaction with the Centre’s draft proposal and reiterating that their core demands for a legislature and constitutionally guaranteed safeguards remain non-negotiable.
The meeting saw presentations of the MHA’s draft proposal and a separate draft submitted by the Ladakh representatives. However, the two sides appeared to remain significantly apart on the proposed framework, prompting a decision to undertake a detailed examination of the documents before the next round of discussions, scheduled for October 22 in Delhi.
Speaking after the meeting, Chhering Dorjey Lakruk, Chairman of the Leh Apex Body, said the MHA’s proposal did not meet Ladakh’s expectations and that there was a substantial gap between the government’s draft and the proposals submitted by the LAB and KDA.
“We are totally dissatisfied with the presentation. It is not satisfactory at all, and it does not match the demands of the people of Ladakh,” Lakruk said, adding that the leadership would prepare a detailed response after examining the government’s document.
He said the Ladakh representatives had submitted their own draft proposal to the government and would now respond point by point to the MHA’s draft through their legal advisers. The MHA, in turn, is expected to respond to the proposals put forward by the Ladakh side.
Lakruk emphasised that the LAB and KDA would not retreat from their demand for democratic rights and constitutional safeguards, including legislative, executive and financial powers. He said the objective was to secure constitutional guarantees for Ladakh’s demands and that no final understanding could be reached without a formal agreement.
The KDA co-chairman, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalie, also described the MHA’s presentation as unsatisfactory, saying the proposal fell short of what Ladakh’s representatives had expected. He said the two sides would continue discussions, but the outcome would depend on whether the revised draft addressed the concerns raised by the Ladakh leadership.
Karbalie said the MHA had agreed to provide a revised draft by the following morning, after which the LAB and KDA would examine it and prepare their response. He cautioned against describing the latest meeting as a failure, calling it a continuation of the dialogue process, while making clear that the Ladakh side remained dissatisfied with the proposal presented on Wednesday.
He also referred to speculation surrounding seven points reportedly raised during the negotiations, saying the Ladakh representatives had provided point-wise responses and submitted a memorandum of understanding to the government.
Former Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Adv. Tashi Gyalson, said the meeting involved a detailed draft prepared by the MHA, reportedly running to around 15 pages, alongside a set of suggestions submitted by the Apex Body and KDA. Given the length and detail of the government’s document, he said, both sides needed adequate time to study the proposals and examine the implications of the suggested provisions.
According to Gyalson, the meeting concluded with an understanding that the draft would be studied in detail and that the suggestions submitted by the Ladakh representatives would also be examined by the MHA, including through consultations and legal opinion. He indicated that the discussions had progressed to a stage where the parties were seeking to work towards resolving the outstanding issues, though the differences would require further deliberations.
The Ladakh representatives are expected to submit their detailed, point-wise response by October 18, following which the next round of talks will take place in Delhi on October 22. Both sides are expected to use the intervening period to examine the respective drafts and explore the possibility of narrowing the differences.
The latest developments underscore the distance that remains between the Centre’s proposed framework and the demands advanced by Ladakh’s political representatives. While the continuation of talks signals that the dialogue process remains open, the absence of consensus and the leadership’s explicit reservations indicate that the substance of the revised proposal will be crucial to the next stage of negotiations.
The October 22 meeting is expected to provide a clearer indication of whether the two sides can bridge the gap and move towards a mutually acceptable framework.
