Avinav Verma
Jammu: Uncertainty looms over the next round of sub-committee talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh representatives, scheduled for October 22 in New Delhi, as the Leh Apex Body (LAB) on Wednesday confirmed that it had not received any formal invitation for the meeting, despite the date having been agreed upon during the previous round of discussions.
The development comes amid continuing differences between the Centre and Ladakh’s leadership over the proposed constitutional framework, particularly the powers of the envisaged elected Union Territory-level body and the nature of safeguards to be provided under Article 371(K).
Speaking to The News Now, LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook confirmed that no invitation had been received from the MHA for the proposed meeting, leaving the immediate schedule of negotiations uncertain.
The next round of sub-committee talks was scheduled for October 22 in New Delhi following the October 15 meeting in Leh, where representatives of the LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) failed to reach a consensus with MHA officials on several provisions of the Centre’s draft proposal.
The two organisations subsequently submitted their response to the MHA’s 32-page draft framework on October 19, outlining their reservations and proposed modifications. However, they have yet to receive confirmation regarding the fresh round of discussions.
The latest uncertainty follows the inconclusive October 15 discussions, during which the LAB and KDA described the Centre’s proposal as “unsatisfactory and unacceptable”, alleging that it did not fully reflect the in-principle understanding reached during negotiations on May 22.
“There was no breakthrough in the meeting as clear gaps remain between the draft submitted by the MHA and our proposal based on the in-principle understanding reached with us during the May 22 meeting. The meeting remained inconclusive, if not a failure,” Lakrook had told The News Now after the October 15 meeting.
However, the Ladakh administration has defended the Centre’s proposed framework, maintaining that the document was prepared after extensive deliberations and was intended to facilitate further negotiations rather than constitute a final legislative proposal.
Addressing a press conference on October 17, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra expressed disappointment over the LAB and KDA leadership’s rejection of the 32-page draft within two hours of receiving it, saying the framework had been prepared after three to four weeks of hard work and shared in good faith.
“I was surprised to see that within two hours of receiving the papers, they were rubbished. It was said that nothing had happened and nothing had been offered, and that no discussion had taken place on constitutional protection,” Kundra said.
He urged the leaders to avoid a pessimistic approach and stressed that meaningful negotiations required mutual trust, patience and a willingness to understand each other’s position.
