KDA decided not to engage with Centre till all allegations against Sonam Wangchuk retracted

The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has announced that it will not engage in any discussions with the Central Government until all allegations against Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent Ladakh activist, are fully withdrawn. KDA co-Chairman Asgar Karbalai emphasized the alliance’s resolute stance, demanding immediate action from the Centre.

Additionally, the KDA has called for a judicial probe into the recent firing incident in Leh, which resulted in casualties, and the unconditional release of all individuals arrested during related protests.

Leh Apex Body withdraws from talks with centre

Meanwhile, the Apex Body Leh on Monday announced to withdraw from negotiations, stating it will not engage with the Ministry of Home Affairs' High-Powered Committee (HPC) until peace and normalcy are fully restored in the region.

At a press conference on Monday, Thupstan Chhewang, Chairman Leh Apex Body (LAB) expressed disappointment over the unfulfilled expectations following Ladakh's designation as a Union Territory. "We anticipated that granting Ladakh UT status would ensure justice and protect our rights and identity," a spokesperson stated. "However, the decision to establish the UT without legislative safeguards, coupled with the abrogation of Article 370, has stripped away the protections that once preserved our unique identity and rights."

To secure our fundamental rights, we were compelled to protest. Initially, the Central Government offered assurances, but no tangible actions followed. Our four core demands have remained consistent from the outset.

Tragically, the administration resorted to excessive force, resulting in the loss of four lives. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Despite ongoing communication with the Central Government and plans to attend a scheduled meeting with the Home Ministry tomorrow, the current unrest has led us to suspend participation in any talks until peace is restored. The Apex Body urges the Home Ministry to take immediate steps to stabilise the situation and address our concerns.

In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement saying, “Government has always been open for dialogues on Ladakh matters with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) at any time.”

“We would continue to welcome the discussion with ABL and KDA through the HPC on Ladakh or any such platform. The dialogue mechanism established with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh has yielded good results till date in the form of increased reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of Ladakh, providing women reservation in LAHDCs and protection to local languages. The process of recruitment for 1800 posts in government has already commenced in UT of Ladakh,” the statement added. “We are confident that continuous dialogue would yield the desired results in near future.”