Although the fifth round of talks between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and agitating groups in Ladakh ended without a consensus, both sides agreed to hold the next round of dialogue on October 22.
Representatives of the MHA, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) attended the meeting, which lasted for two hours.
“Representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs gave a PowerPoint presentation of their draft. We will discuss it and respond to the government’s draft,” Chering Dorjey, coordinator of the Leh Apex Body, told The International Business Times.
Reports said that representatives of the MHA and the Ladakhi groups shared their respective drafts, following which both sides agreed to hold the next round of dialogue on October 22.
“There are differences between our draft and the draft shared by the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Dorjey said, adding that the government’s draft was lengthy and that the Ladakhi groups had sought time to respond.
He, however, said the agitating groups would not dilute their key demands for a legislature and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under Article 371 or similar provisions.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Tashi Gyalson, former chairperson and chief executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, described the draft shared by the MHA representatives as detailed and expressed confidence that a consensus would emerge in the next round of talks.
“We are very close to resolving our issues after many years of deliberations,” he said.
The meeting, held in Leh on Thursday, aimed to address the long-standing demands of regional leaders for greater political representation, administrative autonomy and constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.
The previous round of talks between the Ladakhi groups and the MHA representatives was held on May 22 this year.
During the May meeting, the Centre and the Ladakhi groups reportedly reached an in-principle understanding on extending constitutional safeguards to Ladakh along the lines of Articles 371A, 371F and 371G, which provide special protections to Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram, respectively.
Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra had urged the region’s leadership to remain optimistic and reassure the public that progress was being made on issues of critical importance to the Union Territory.
LAB reaffirms Ladakh’s position on territorial sovereignty
Alongside the dialogue on internal governance, the Leh Apex Body also addressed broader geopolitical concerns. Responding to recent territorial claims reportedly made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding western Ladakh, the group rejected the claims.
Chering Dorjay Larook, co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body, emphasised that Ladakh had always been an integral part of India and dismissed foreign claims over the region as baseless.
The delegation, meanwhile, remains focused on securing greater administrative and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh within the framework of India’s sovereignty.