Leh (Ladakh) [India], October 16 (ANI): Activist Sonam Wangchuk termed the latest round of talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Leh Apex Body (LAB), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) as "not satisfactory," revealing that a "huge gap" remains regarding core demands for a democratic setup and legislative assembly safeguards for the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters in Leh, Wangchuk stated that while the outcome of the latest discussions was disappointing for the people of Ladakh, the leadership would not label it a complete failure as the Centre has committed to presenting a revised draft proposal by tomorrow morning.
"... There are differences, and I will not go into too much detail. They have said they will submit another revised draft by tomorrow morning. Until then, we will not call this a failure but a continuation. However, today’s outcome was not satisfactory for Ladakh, and we remain dissatisfied. We will review their revised draft," Wangchuk said.
Underlining the stark divide in expectations between the Ladakh representatives and the central interlocutors, the activist noted that discussions stalled primarily around institutional self-governance.
"We expected minor differences, but there is a huge gap. Our points mainly concerned the democratic set-up, the Assembly and its safeguards. However, we have not made any further progress in these talks, and we are disappointed," he stated.
Wangchuk expressed cautious optimism that the upcoming revised draft would accommodate their key demands ahead of the next round of discussions scheduled to take place in the national capital next week.
"Another meeting has been proposed for the 22nd, and we hope the revised draft will bring some changes... We hope for a positive outcome at the meeting on the 22nd in Delhi," he added.
While Ladakh has steadfastly demanded inclusion under the Sixth Schedule (Article 244) alongside full statehood, the Union Home Ministry has proposed granting constitutional safeguards to the region under Article 371. According to Wangchuk, the government's proposal to implement Article 371-style protections introduces a structural catch: it requires an elected legislative body to function effectively. However, Ladakh currently lacks the internal revenue to sustain a full-fledged state apparatus and pay government employees.
To bridge this gap, Ladakh's representatives floated a compromise through a Hybrid Assembly model. This temporary setup gives Ladakh democratic law-making powers without the massive financial burden of full statehood, remaining in place until local revenue generation becomes entirely self-sustaining. Under the proposed model, the bureaucracy will answer directly to a locally elected leadership rather than the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG), restoring accountability to the people of Leh and Kargil. (ANI)
"Huge gap on democratic setup, assembly safeguards": Sonam Wangchuk after MHA meeting
