Ladakh Groups Seek Direct Talks with Amit Shah, Call May 22 Meet ‘Inadequate’

Leh Apex Body (LAB) on Sunday called for direct, "decision-level" talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit here next week, describing the scheduled May 22 sub-committee meeting as "inadequate" for resolving the region's long-pending issues.

The reaction came after Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to convene a meeting of the sub-committee for political dialogue with representatives of agitating Ladakh groups on May 22. The last meeting was held in early February.

LAB, along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), are engaged in talks with the centre since 2021 over its four-point agenda including statehood for Ladakh and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

“LAB discussed in detail the upcoming visit of Home Minister to Ladakh (on April 30) alongside the announcement of a sub-committee meeting for May 22…the issue of Ladakh has been dragging on for the past five to six years and needs to be resolved,” climate activist Sonam Wangchuk told reporters here.

Wangchuk, who was flanked by the co-chairman of LAB, Chering Dorjay, and other prominent members of the grouping, said the visit is seen as a step towards “meaningful and constructive dialogue”.

“It is well understood that discussions at the sub-committee level -- meaning at the level of secretaries -- do not involve decision-making authorities. Therefore, there is a concern that even if this meeting takes place on May 22, four months after the last one in February, and still no decision is reached, another four months may pass, and the entire year could go by without any resolution.

“That is why all our members have suggested that since the Home Minister is himself visiting Ladakh, he should chair a meeting with the LAB and the KDA," he said Holding such a meeting in Ladakh would be both possible and meaningful, Wangchuk said.

"In fact, some of our members who attended earlier meetings in Delhi have also shared that during their interactions with him, the Home Minister had assured Ladakh’s leadership that he would personally chair such meetings and even consider holding them in Ladakh,” he said.

In this context, he said the visit of the home minister presents the best possible opportunity for that to happen.

Ashraf Barcha, a leader of LAB, said it is of the view that there is no major issue left to be discussed at the sub-committee level, as all matters have already been discussed threadbare so far.

“Now is the time for decisions. We believe that since the Home Minister is visiting Ladakh -- which is a matter of great happiness for all of us -- this opportunity should be utilised. If he could hold a joint meeting here with Ladakh’s leadership under the High-Powered Committee framework, it would be very beneficial. It would also help in boosting the confidence of the people here,” he said.

Wangchuk also stressed the need for immediate trust-building measures.

“It is not just about revoking the NSA against me… but also about addressing and rectifying the wrongs that have taken place last September to rebuild public trust.” Wangchuk, who was taken into custody on September 26 under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with violence during protests, was released from Jodhpur Central Jail on March 14 following the Union government's decision to revoke his detention.

Calling for concrete steps, he said, “Revoking cases and announcing compensation will help confidence-building among the people before the home minister’s tour.” Dorjay said the apex body and KDA are on the same page and “we will once again try to ensure that we speak in one unified voice and avoid including those who hold differing views.” “Our clear position is that a sub-committee meeting is completely meaningless. If no decisions can be taken and there is nothing new left to discuss, then what is the point? "Our demands are already very clear—the four-point agenda. At the very least, the government should clarify what it is willing to offer,” he said.

For example, he said if the government does not intend to grant statehood or include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, it should say so clearly.

“So far, it has not explicitly stated that it will not provide these. If not these, then what is the alternative? The government should at least spell that out,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said the LAB also came to know about the visit of the home minister and proposed talks on May 22 through the tweet of the Lt Governor.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Leh on April 30 for a two-day visit. LG Saxena said the home minister will pay his respect to the sacred relics of Lord Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on May 1.