Leh, Aug 19 (PTI) The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Wednesday said they have submitted a memorandum with their “non-negotiable” demands to Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra.
The agitating groups said they were informed that a formal meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) level would be held in September in Delhi.
Talking to reporters after meeting the chief secretary here, LAB chairman Chering Dorjay and KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai said a joint secretary from the MHA also attended the discussions.
“We have submitted a memorandum detailing important and non-negotiable demands, including the proposed legislative and executive setup at the Union Territory level, financial powers and safeguards for the people of Ladakh. The chief secretary assured us that our non-negotiable and important points, as well as the interim measures we have proposed, will be submitted to the MHA,” Karbalai said.
Dorjay, Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan, Sajjad Kargili, and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk were with him when he spoke.
Karbalai said they stressed that there should be no deviation from the minutes of the previous meeting in May that had been signed and submitted.
“We were told that a formal meeting would be held in Delhi in the first week of September. Whether the meeting would be held with the Sub-Committee or the High-Powered Committee would be decided by the MHA,” he said.
Karbalai said the two bodies also pressed for “dignified and respectable compensation” for the families of those killed and injured in the September 24 violence in Leh last year.
They also demanded withdrawal of cases against more than 80 persons, as is being done with recent Jantar Mantar protesters.
“September 24 is a black day in the history of Ladakh, and we can never forget it,” he asserted.
Karbalai said that once the MHA presents a draft plan, the KDA and LAB would examine it with their legal and constitutional experts and suggest changes.
He warned authorities that a delay could lead to a groundswell.
On the composition of the dialogue mechanism, Dorjay said the KDA and LAB had no objection to individuals outside the notified composition attending as observers, but objected to their participation in the discussions and presentation of the government’s position.
He said the Martyrs’ Month observance would continue, with weekly programmes and a special observance on September 24 in memory of those who died last year during protests. PTI TAS VN VN
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