Leh Apex Body warns of renewed agitation, seeks resolution of core Ladakh demands within a month

LAB says dialogue with Centre is moving too slowly; seeks withdrawal of cases against youth, compensation for victims, restoration of democratic rights, and equal treatment for Ladakh.

LEH: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) on Thursday urged the Union Government to urgently address Ladakh’s unresolved political and democratic concerns, warning that failure to act within the next month could compel the people of Ladakh to launch a fresh agitation.

Addressing a press conference in Leh, LAB Co-Chairman Chering Dorjey Lakruk said the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have been jointly pursuing Ladakh’s four core demands for several years. While some progress has been made, he asserted that the central issues remain unresolved and the ongoing dialogue process with the Centre is moving “very slowly.”

“Ladakh is a sensitive border region and its issues cannot be allowed to be overshadowed by other developments in the country,” Lakruk said, urging the Government of India to treat the matter with seriousness and urgency.

Lakruk alleged that excessive force had been used against protesters and claimed that many people suffered bullet injuries. He said Ladakhis feel deeply hurt that the incident did not receive the same national attention and public outrage that recent police actions elsewhere in the country have generated.

“We are asking why there should be a double standard. Wherever injustice occurs, it should be opposed with the same intensity,” he said, adding that Ladakh’s patriotism and sacrifices in safeguarding the country’s borders are beyond question.

Sonam Wangchuk echoed these concerns and urged the government to revisit the September incident with the same seriousness with which it is responding to recent controversies elsewhere in the country. He called for immediate compensation to the families of those killed and to those who sustained serious injuries during the agitation, while also demanding that all criminal cases registered against those arrested be withdrawn without delay.

The LAB leaders further urged the Centre to resolve Ladakh’s four long-pending demands through a time-bound process and restore democratic governance in the Union Territory. They also demanded that the cases registered against around 70 to 80 youth in connection with the agitation be withdrawn, stating that many of them are facing difficulties in securing character certificates required for ongoing recruitment processes. They maintained that the affected youth are innocent and should not continue to suffer because of pending legal proceedings.

Calling for equal treatment of Ladakh and its people, the leaders said the Union Government should ensure that compensation and justice provided to victims in other parts of the country are extended to those affected in Ladakh on the same basis. They argued that the administration should replace what they described as an atmosphere of fear with governance based on dialogue, trust and democratic participation.

Emphasising Ladakh’s strategic importance, Wangchuk noted that civilians in the border region have consistently stood with the nation, while soldiers from the Ladakh Scouts have earned distinction through their service and sacrifices. He said the people of Ladakh deserve respect and dignity in return for their unwavering commitment to national security.

The Leh Apex Body expressed hope that the Union Government would address these issues within the next month so that people would not have to return to the streets. However, the leaders cautioned that if the grievances remain unresolved, they would be left with no option but to resume their democratic agitation for justice and Ladakh’s long-pending constitutional and political demands.