JAMMU: Stalemate prevailed over talks between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and twin bodies of Ladakh including Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with no headway even after more than two months of last meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) held in New Delhi.
The LAB has, however, certain indications through very reliable quarters that the MHA is least interested in inviting the two bodies for a dialogue. Keeping this in view, the LAB and KDA are expected to meet in next about 10 days to decide future course of action as the Apex Body is presently busy with religious functions.
Well placed sources told the Excelsior that senior leadership of the LAB established contact with officers in the MHA dealing with meetings of the HPC on Ladakh issues two to three times as they didn’t receive any message for fresh meeting. However, they said, the signs were not encouraging and they didn’t get any positive response on next round of talks. “This clearly indicates that the MHA is least interested in the talks though officially they haven’t conveyed any such thing to the LAB and KDA,’’ the sources said.
When contacted for comments, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told the Excelsior that they haven’t received any message either from the MHA or the UT Ladakh administration for further talks of the HPC or the Sub Committee. Presently, he said, they are busy with religious functions in Leh but will call joint meeting of LAB and KDA within a week to 10 days to decide how to proceed ahead in the absence of any fresh invite by the MHA for talks. Last meeting of the HPC chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai was held in New Delhi on February 4 but no major issues were resolved as the MHA only listened to the LAB and KDA leadership and gave no response. Now two months and a week have gone by without any fresh talks, the sources said.
Earlier, there were reports that the MHA is expected to prepare its response to 29-page document submitted by the LAB and KDA on November 17, 2025 but that hope has also diminished as nearly five months have passed and no such indications have come from the Centre. The MHA hasn’t officially given any response to the memorandum though it has made it clear that it was opposed to Statehood demand but was ready for some sort of protections though not exactly the Sixth Schedule status. Through the document, the twin bodies sought integration of proposed State of Ladakh under Article 371 as Article 371-K, 30-member Assembly, out of which, 28 seats will be reserved for the members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) of Ladakh i.e. the local people. It also sought two Lok Sabha seats for Ladakh and Autonomous District Council for each district instead of present Hill Development Councils.
They proposed that there shall be a common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and State of Ladakh to be called the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Prior to February 4, 2026, talks between the Ladakh bodies and MHA were held on October 22, 2025 in New Delhi. After the Sub Committee meeting, the MHA officials sought detailed document from the LAB and KDA on their demands which they submitted.
The Sub Committee, which last met on October 22, 2025, comprised senior officers of MHA and UT of Ladakh, three members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Chairperson-cum-CEC Kargil Hill Development Council while the High Powered Committee (HPC), which had its last meeting on February 4, 2026, is headed by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and has six members each from LAB and KDA, Ladakh MP and Kargil Hill Council Chairman, among others. October 22 Sub Committee meeting in New Delhi was held after nearly five months as the previous meeting took place on May 27.
Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after September 24, 2025 violence in Leh in which four civilians were killed and 100 others, many of them paramilitary personnel, were injured while offices of the BJP and Hill Council were torched by the mob. (Excelsior)
