Non-political delegation led by ex-MP Chhewang to hold talks with Centre: Leh Apex Body

Leh, Sep 17 (PTI) In an effort to revive stalled dialogue, Leh Apex Body (LAB) has decided to remove leaders of political parties from its delegation which will negotiate with the Centre on its two crucial demands – statehood and extension of the sixth schedule of the Constitution for Ladakh.

LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey said veteran leader Thupstan Chhewang, who had resigned from the body after the last round of talks in May, has agreed to return to the grouping as its head to lead the talks with the government.

Chhewang, a former two-time MP from Ladakh, had distanced himself from LAB and submitted resignation citing "partisan, individual agendas and competing interests".

The LAB also requested the government to resume dialogue.

Leaders in the body indicated that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an ongoing 35-day-long hunger strike since September 10, may not be part of it.

It was generally perceived that some political leaders had exercised undue influence over LAB, which hampered fruitful negotiations and resolution of issues, apparently for political gains. The tendency had increased as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh elections were approaching next month.

Many within LAB, especially youth leaders, had expressed concerns regarding "politicisation" of the body, which led to intense internal conflicts in recent times.

Accepting LAB’s decision, the local Congress unit also announced that it will remain away from talks, if people of Ladakh desire so.

Wangchuk, who was included in the high powered committee after the resignation of the Chhewang and Congress’s Nawang Rigzin Jora on July 6, went on a hunger strike along with a group of locals, including some retired soldiers, on September 10. However, the hunger strike has so far failed to evoke any response from the government.

Previously, over 1,000 kanals of land allocated to Wangchuk’s institution HIAL was cancelled by the UT administration due to various irregularities including failure to complete the lease agreement, non-payment of dues and non-establishment of any recognised university, for which the land was allocated.

Wangchuk is also under CBI scanner for suspicious foreign transactions. However, he dismissed all the charges and accused the government of “witch hunt” in view of his association with LAB.

His hunger strike has evoked mixed response in Ladakh, with many veteran leaders suggesting preference to talks with the government over confrontational agitation.

Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), a powerful body within LAB, passed an unanimous resolution on September 13, calling for separation of political parties from the grouping and persuading Thupstan Chhewang "at all costs, respecting his conditions and sentiments" to return.

LAB along with Kargil Democratic Alliance is engaged in dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs over its demands for which they have been agitating for the last four years.

The two powerful bodies are hopeful of a positive response from the government to their request for resumption of dialogue. PTI TAS SKL KVK KVK