Leh Apex Body withdraws from talks with centre, MHA says ‘govt always open for dialogue’

The Apex Body Leh has announced its decision 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 today, 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.

MHA says ‘govt always open for dialogue’

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.”

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate of Leh allowed relaxation in curfew, ordering the reopening of groceries, essential services, hardware and vegetable shops between 10 am to 2 pm.