JAMMU: Ladakh groups, which have been protesting for statehood, have said their agitation will continue till their demands are met. Their demands also include Sixth Schedule under the Constitution for the UT, job reservation for local residents, a separate public service commission for Ladakh and two parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) recently held protests in Ladakh, Jammu and New Delhi. KDA member Sajjad Kargili said, “Though the locations for future protests have not been planned as of now, the agitation will continue till our demands are fulfilled.”
LAB member Jigmet Paljor said the agitation was getting stronger day by day. “Till the government accepts the demands of the people of Ladakh, the protest will not weaken,” he said.
The sudden exit of former Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur suggests the Central Government was not satisfied with his dealing with the situation. On Sunday, Brigadier BD Mishra (retd) took oath as the L-G of Ladakh. The local residents are in no mood to relent even after the change of guard.
Sources in the administration informed that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had already been in informal talks with the protesting leaders and asking them to come to the discussion table. According to sources, the statehood demand has been ruled out but the government is willing to discuss other demands. There have been telephonic discussions between LAB leader and former MP Thupstan Chhewang with the designated MHA persons.
It has been learnt that L-G Mishra has been entrusted with the responsibility by the Centre to offer an olive branch to the protesting groups to defuse the tension. The MHA had established a high-powered committee last month to hold discussions but both the Ladakh groups had rejected the committee on various grounds. Since then there have been no formal talks to discuss the protesters’ demands.