In the first sign of a thaw, leaders of Ladakh, where four people died in police firing during the recent pro-statehood protests, met with Home Ministry representatives here on Wednesday for sub-committee level talks.
During the meeting, the Ladakh representatives demanded an immediate release of all arrested leaders, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuck, the widely recognised face of the agitation.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said that the next of kin of those killed should be given adequate compensation.
Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after four protesters were killed and several were injured during widespread violence in Leh on September 24. Both the Ladakh organisations stayed away from the dialogue with the high-powered committee of the MHA slated for October 6.
The invitation for the talks had been made by the Centre on September 20. The last round of talks between the two sides was held in May.
Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh Mohmad Haneefa, who took part in the meeting, said the Ladakhi leaders participated in it with an open mind for a positive outcome of their demand for statehood to Ladakh.
“This was our first meeting, and we can’t expect much from it. But we raised the issue of immediate release of all those who were arrested on or after September 24, including Sonam Wangchuck,” he told reporters after the meeting here.
Wangchuck, arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail. The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”.
The maximum detention period under the NSA is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance said the representatives of Ladakh sought the immediate release of all those who were arrested and compensation for those killed in police firing.“We are hopeful that the government will respond positively to our demands,” he said.
On October 17, the MHA announced a judicial inquiry commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge into the violent clashes of September 24 in Leh.
According to a notification issued by the MHA, the judicial probe, to be headed by Justice B S Chauhan, a former judge of the Supreme Court, is mandated to investigate the “circumstances leading to the serious law and order situation, the police action and the resultant unfortunate deaths of four people”.
Retired district and sessions judge Mohan Singh Parihar will function as judicial secretary, while IAS officer Tushar Anand will be the administrative secretary of the inquiry commission.
The September 24 clashes between security forces and protesters — who were demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union territory — left four civilians dead and 90 injured, escalating a months-long agitation.
The appointment of a retired Supreme Court judge to head the inquiry directly addressed the demand by local groups for a high-level, impartial judicial investigation.
The announcement of the probe comes as an attempt to restore dialogue with the representatives of the ongoing movement, the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which suspended talks with the home ministry’s high-powered committee (HPC) following the violence.
The main issues that were on the agenda for discussions with the HPC remain the core demands of the LAB and KDA, seeking constitutional safeguards and greater political autonomy for the Union territory created in 2019.
Their demands include full statehood with its own legislative assembly to ensure greater political representation and self-governance, to protect the unique culture, fragile ecosystem, and land rights of the predominantly tribal population by granting Autonomous District Councils, two Lok Sabha seats, and the formation of a dedicated recruitment body to tackle high unemployment among the local youth, and ensure job reservations for Ladakh residents.