The Center has decided to hold a meeting of its political dialogue sub-committee with representatives of Ladakh scheduled on May 22, Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena announced on Sunday.
“I am happy to announce that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has taken the decision to convene a meeting of the Political Dialogue Sub-Committee on May 22. This will move forward the process of constructive democratic dialogue with key stakeholders in Ladakh and pave the way for a lasting solution that meets the aspirations of the people of Ladakh,” Saxena said in a post on X.
The announcement comes ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to Ladakh from April 30 to May 1 to pay respect to the holy relics of Lord Buddha on Buddha Purnima. Shah will also chair a meeting with the Ladakh administration.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which have been engaged in a joint dialogue with the Center since 2021 on their key demands, including statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, are demanding resumption of talks.
Ladakh became a Union Territory (UT) on 31 October 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, dividing it into two UTs. Since then, a series of Ladakh Sixth Schedule protests have rocked the UT and had repercussions in Delhi.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) in September last year after protests turned violent. He was released last month, with the government citing the need to facilitate “constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders” as the reason for his release. Since Wangchuk’s arrest, talks between the Center and Ladakh groups have stalled.
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Saxena, who took charge as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in March, said on April 14 that the ongoing dialogue between LAB-KDA and the Center will lead to a solution, assuring that he remains available to support the process whenever required.
A day later, the KDA called for the immediate resumption of talks, stressing that they remain open to any new proposal from the Centre, barring council-based arrangements.
The subcommittee was formed following a meeting held on 19 February 2024 between the HPC and a 14-member delegation from LAB and KDA, representing various organizations in the UT.
