New Delhi has brought senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta, as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, ahead of the talks with the leadership of the region over key demands including the statehood and inclusion of the area in the sixth schedule of Indian Constitution to protect the land and jobs of the area.
President Droupadi Murmu said that she has accepted the resignation of Brigadier B D Mishra (retired) to appoint former deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Kavinder Gupta, as the new LG of Ladakh UT.
Gupta has risen through the ranks, starting his career as a corporator of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) before becoming its Mayor and later the Deputy Chief Minister in the PDP-BJP rule.
Several leaders in Ladakh said that 'they welcome the appointment', adding that they hope that the new LG would 'fulfil the political and developmental aspirations of the people.'
A meeting with the high-powered committee of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected this month to discuss key political demands, including the inclusion of Ladakh in the sixth schedule and granting statehood to the region.
Ladakh MP, Haji Haneefa, said, "Democracy has replaced the rule by the bureaucracy, and we are expecting that the Central government will hold talks with us on the issue of statehood and the sixth schedule."
On the appointment of the new LG, Haneefa said, "The new LG has a political background, and Ladakh has political issues, and we hope he will take everyone along."
Earlier, the Central government conceded the demand of the leadership of Ladakh to put a cap of 15 years, counting the date of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 as eligibility for non-locals to get domicile rights.
However, the leaders in Ladakh have said that New Delhi should include the region in the sixth schedule, which will enable the constitution of autonomous bodies that can make laws to restrict the ownership rights on land to the local people and bar any sale of land to non-locals.
"We are expecting that the high powered committee which has been constituted by the central government would hold next round of discussion this month to talk over other issues of restoration of statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh in sixth schedule and if this doesn't happen then we would be forced to hit the streets", Haneefa said.
Co-chairman, Leh Apex Body (LAB), Chering Dorjay, earlier told reporters that the Government of India has proposed a meeting on July 20 with the leadership of Ladakh. He added that there could be discussions on the Sixth Schedule and statehood on the agenda.
"We are hopeful that the talks will be held by that date", he said.
Ahead of the talks with the Centre, senior Congress leader and former Minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora, has dissociated from the high-powered committee of the MHA, while former MP and chairman of LAB, Thupstan Chhewang, has also stepped down from his position.
According to some leaders in LAB, Rigzin Jora has stepped down as he believes that his presence could stall the progress of the talks with the Centre due to his political affiliation, while Chhewang had resigned from the BJP in 2018 stating that he was doing so as the Central government had failed to meet the demand of UT status for the region.
Glen Phunchok, organising committee member of LAB, said, "Ladakh lacked legislative powers, and in the UT, there is no body which can protect our jobs and rights."
"It is due to these reasons that we are seeking that the region should be granted statehood", he said.
