Ladakh boycotts Delhi talks: Apex body Leh demands probe into firing; govt says open for dialogue

Ladakh groups boycott talks; door open: Govt

SRINAGAR: Ladakh representatives withdrew Monday from scheduled talks with Union home ministry’s high-powered committee, demanding a judicial inquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge into the Sept 24 firing by security forces in Leh that killed four protesters and wounded more than 80. In response, govt said it has always been “open for dialogues on Ladakh matters with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) at any time” and “would continue to welcome the discussion”.ABL also sought withdrawal of “anti-national” labels against Ladakhis and release of all those arrested, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. They alleged Wangchuk was targeted after he joined ABL, which represents political and religious groups, and has been pressing for Sixth Schedule safeguards and statehood for Ladakh.“Branding us anti-national is a slur on our patriotism. We cannot hold talks at gunpoint,” ABL co-chair Chering Dorje Lakruk said. “We have been loyal nationalists. These accusations are a black stain on us.”Talks between the Centre-appointed committee and Ladakhi groups ABL and KDA were set for Oct 6. An ABL delegation was to travel to New Delhi on Sept 30 after the cremations of the victims, while the KDA team is already in the national capital. Govt said the ongoing “dialogue mechanism” had “yielded good results,” citing increased reservations for scheduled tribes in Ladakh, women’s reservation in LAHDCs, and protection for local languages. It added that recruitment for 1,800 govt posts in the Union territory had already begun and expressed confidence that “continuous dialogue would yield the desired results in near future”.For a sixth straight day, curfew remained in force, with internet services suspended and roads sealed to block gatherings.The four deceased were identified as Jigmet Dorjay, 25; Stanzin Namgyal, 23; retired soldier Tsewang Tharchin, 46, a father of four who served in the Army from 1996 to 2017; and Rinchen Dadul.“Whole of Ladakh wants justice. The manner in which funerals were conducted under tight security, barring people from attending, has further saddened us,” Lakruk said, while alleging CRPF personnel “indiscriminately opened fire on our children” during Wangchuk’s hunger strike in Leh. “Many youths, including students preparing for exams, were arrested and beaten. They are students, not criminals. We demand their immediate release,” he said.He accused the administration of spreading “false narratives”. “The lieutenant governor accused us of being influenced by foreign hands. Later the DGP spoke of a Pakistan angle and accused Wangchuk of anti-national activity. These baseless allegations are extremely serious and have hurt us most,” Lakruk said.Former MP and ABL chairman Thupstan Chhewang said Ladakhis felt betrayed after the region was made a Union territory without a legislature in 2019. “When we were part of J&K, we had safeguards under Article 370 and Article 35A. We thought there would be a democratic system after separation, but it was denied,” he said.Chhewang said ABL had submitted four demands to Centre after Ladakh became a UT: Sixth Schedule safeguards, statehood, a separate cadre and public service commission, and separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil. “We pursued our struggle peacefully, but what happened on Sept 24 was shocking.”