Kargil: Leaders of the Kargil Democratic Alliance on Saturday expressed concern over a series of recent notifications issued by the Ladakh administration, accusing it of taking unilateral decisions even as negotiations over an empowered governance framework for the region remain unresolved.
They also warned that continued disregard for Ladakh’s demands could trigger a public response.
The concerns come amid dissatisfaction over a draft governance proposal presented during an October 15 sub-committee meeting involving the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The two regional bodies rejected the proposal, maintaining that it failed to meet the commitments made during earlier discussions. A subsequent meeting scheduled for October 22 in Delhi was postponed.
Addressing a press conference in Kargil, KDA co-chairman Sajad Kargili said the administration’s continued issuance of notifications, including those concerning the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) and reservation-related matters, raised questions about its priorities at a time when discussions with the Centre over constitutional safeguards and greater powers for Ladakh remained inconclusive.
“It appears that the UT administration has no work left other than issuing notices and notifications and imposing unilateral decisions on the people of Ladakh,” Kargili said, alleging that the developments amounted to an assault on democratic rights.
He also accused the administration of sidelining the aspirations of Ladakh’s people and warned that the region’s democratic institutions were being weakened.
Kargili criticised the proposed draft concerning the LAHDCs, alleging that it diluted the existing framework instead of strengthening local self-governance.
He said the draft had fallen short of expectations, adding that the leadership had anticipated a framework providing substantially greater powers to Ladakh.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai issued a strong warning against what he described as attempts to intimidate or mislead the people through administrative measures.
He urged the public to remain vigilant, warning the government not to mistake people’s restraint for fear, acquiescence or acceptance of its decisions.
“The silence we are witnessing today is the calm before the storm,” Karbalai said.
He also cautioned the administration against assuming that the people of Ladakh had retreated or abandoned their demands.
Karbalai urged the government to honour the commitments made during the May 22 ministerial meeting and bring forward a revised draft guaranteeing full legislative, executive and financial powers, along with constitutional safeguards.
He said the Centre should act before public frustration escalated further, stressing that the sooner Ladakh’s demands were addressed, the better it would be for all the stakeholders.
Hanifa Jan, the Independent MP from Ladakh, echoed the concerns, saying the governance proposal presented at the latest round of discussions failed to reflect the aspirations and rights of Ladakhis.
He said the region’s principal demand was for a democratic system in which its people could govern themselves, formulate their own policies and determine their development priorities.
“Our ultimate goal is essential to the future of Ladakh,” he said, arguing that constitutional safeguards and meaningful democratic powers were indispensable to the region’s long-term development.
Jan also called for greater transparency in the negotiations, urging the KDA and the LAB to make their respective drafts and objections available in the public domain.
The leaders called for the postponed meeting to be convened without further delay and for a revised proposal that honours the earlier commitments.
They reiterated that Ladakh’s demand centres on constitutional protection, democratic representation and meaningful control over the region’s affairs.
