Leh: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reiterated that it remains open to dialogue with the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) at any time, even as the Leh Apex Body announced it will stay away from talks until normalcy is restored in the region.
LAB Chairman Thupstan Chhewang made the announcement following the cremation of the fourth victim of last week’s clashes—a former army soldier—amid tight security in curfew-bound Leh.
“As long as peace is not restored and a conducive atmosphere is not created, we will not participate in any talks. We urge the Home Ministry and UT administration to address the prevailing atmosphere of fear, grief, and anger,” he said.
Curfew, imposed last Wednesday, was relaxed for two hours at 4 PM, with no untoward incidents reported, officials said.
The unrest erupted on September 24 during a shutdown called by LAB to press for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
Responding to the announcement, the UT administration emphasized that the dialogue mechanism through the High Powered Committee (HPC) has already delivered results, including increased reservations for Scheduled Tribes, women’s reservation in LAHDCs, protection of local languages, and recruitment for 1,800 government posts in the UT. “We remain committed to dialogue and are confident that continuous engagement will yield the desired results in the near future,” the administration said.
With tensions still high, both the government and the Apex Body stress the need for peace and constructive engagement to address Ladakh’s demands while maintaining stability in the region.
